Eyes Shut Tight
by MysticalElfGirl
Summary: (A sequel to Eyes Wide Open) Marik's dead...or is he? It seems he had one last trick up his sleeve for Yami and Yugi. They survived last time, but as a new, more dangerous game begins, will they both make it through? More lives are at stake, and you can be sure that it won't be easy. (Rating will be upped in later chapters)
1. Chapter 1

**HIIII. ^.^ So, this is a sequel to my last story **_**Eyes Wide Open**_**, which was a huge success! I had so much fun writing it; in fact, I loved it so much, I decided to make this sequel. Now, to my new readers, I think you will be able to understand this one without reading my last fic, but it will make soooo much more sense if you read EWO first. Most YamixYugi fics start off with the main couple—this one doesn't. That's why I'm suggesting you read it so this makes more sense. I promise you'll like it! **

**Also, a special shoutout to AnimeHannah, who suggested the title for this sequel. I was totally at a loss, and when she came up with the name I was like, "Oh, duhhhhh."**

**Anyway, be sure to leave me a review and tell me what you think, especially my old readers who encouraged this story. You guys rock!**

**-Mystie**

Chapter 1:

Joey Wheeler stuffed his hands deep within his jean pockets as the autumn wind bit through his thin jacket. It was awfully cool for an early-September Sunday afternoon. Ordinarily, he would be out enjoying his final evening of summer vacation, as school started up again the following day; however, he hadn't felt like doing much of anything for the past three or so months. Moreover, he hadn't seen his partner-in-crime Tristan since late May before school had let out for the summer. In fact, the last night he had seen Tristan had been the night he had started feeling like this—a bit down, alone, and indifferent. He was certainly no stranger to trouble or mischief; he and Tristan had well over thirty run-ins with the police between them, and he himself had spent a year in a juvenile detention center for one of his many petty offenses. Ordinarily, he would be using the freedom of summer vacation to add to his rap sheet, but he simply couldn't find the motivation to do so. The night he had last seen Tristan, the two of them had been out pedaling on their bikes around the far outskirts of Domino looking for trouble. After a few hours of shattering old windows and taunting cops, they had found themselves bored—that is, until they found exactly what they were looking for to give life to their dull night:

* * *

"_Yo, Joey, look over there," Tristan said, pointing towards the first signs of life they had seen in quite some time._

_They both stopped pedaling. Joey squinted his eyes to get a better look in the dark at what his friend gestured at. "Looks like a buildin' or somethin'. Let's check it out." They rode towards the area quickly, coming to a halt when they came to a path slightly blocked off by bright yellow caution tape. They exchanged knowing glances and smirks._

"_Never stopped us before," the brunette said with a laugh. They pedaled through the tape with matching chuckles. They stopped again when they realized just how tall and dilapidated the building was. It was even missing a wall five or so stories up. There were various old construction vehicles all around them, rusted and tarnished and missing parts. They both let their bikes fall to the ground as they decided to explore. They looked upwards as they walked, Joey leading the way. Oh, this was going to be too good. So much to break and destroy and no witnesses in sight. They paid no attention to where they walked—minds racing with possibilities—until Joey nearly fell flat on his face as he tripped on something solid._

"_Shit!" he called, regaining his balance at the last second. "What the hell is that?"_

_The brunette approached the hindrance slowly, his face darkening. "Dude, is that a body?"_

_Joey advanced and looked down. "Oh, shit, it is!" he yelped, though his expression showed his excitement. He bent down and nudged the corpse's arm. It was icy cold. The poor guy had been decapitated, his head lying to the side with a wide, one eye staring blankly towards the sky. The whole body looked as if it had been badly burned. "I don't think it's been here long either, Tristan."_

"_Dude, we gotta call the cops," Tristan said steadily, already reaching for his phone in his back pocket. "Ugh, stop that, man! That's disgusting!"_

_Joey had picked up the severed head, tossing it lightly in the air as if it were a football. He smiled at Tristan's horrified expression. "Quit being such a baby, bro. It ain't gonna bite 'cha," he said with a laugh. "And we ain't callin' no one. Them cops've been waitin' on some dirt on us to throw us into the big house. Whaddya think they're gonna do when they see us out here alone with a dead body, genius?"_

_Tristan hesitated, then slid his phone back into his pocket. "Then what the hell are we supposed to do? Just leave him here?"_

"_Well, first, let's have some fun!" Joey said, tossing the head to Tristan. Out of reflex, he caught it with disgust, and lobbed it back to Joey with a girlish squeal. Joey caught it again, sniggering at Tristan's antics. "You're such a baby!"_

"_Screw you, man!" Tristan shouted, wringing his hands as if he had just touched something poisonous. "What the hell are you doin! Put it down! Let's get the hell outta here!" Joey was holding the head in front of his face, acting as if it was his own skull. He paraded around, drawing closer to the repulsed Tristan. He laughed deeply, fully amused. He stopped when Tristan tripped over his own feet trying to escape, barely able to keep from crying._

"_Aw man, I'm just foolin' around. Chill out," he said with a giggle. He held the head back up, turning it so that its eyes faced his own. "This dude must've pissed someone off somethin' fierce. They damn near burned his face off."_

"_Just put it down, man. It gives me the creeps."_

_Joey was about to reply with a snarky comment, when he noticed the one open eye begin to glow. He stood in shock before being enveloped in a dark light. The power sent him backwards, and he landed with a cry. Tristan had seen enough. Joey was his friend, but this was just too much. He took off in the opposite direction towards his bike like a bat out of hell, and pedaled towards town fiercely. Joey groaned as the light diminished, bringing his hand to his head. He opened his eyes slowly, his vision unclear._

"_What…the hell?" he stuttered, taking in his surroundings._

* * *

As he had awakened, he was surprised to not find Tristan there with him anymore. Sure, he had known that Tristan had been creeped out by the dead body and severed head, but they had been through a lot together. There was no need to leave him alone like that. Hell, he could have been dead. In his defense, Tristan had tried calling him later that night to check on him; in fact, he had attempted all summer to get in contact with Joey and apologize, but Joey ignored him. Not only was he a bit pissed for him leaving him out there alone and vulnerable in an unfamiliar part of town (not that he couldn't take care of himself or anything), but ever since the moment when he had been knocked on his ass by that freaky head, he had felt…different. He was starting to get terrible migraines at least three times a day, and any light made him cringe. Throughout the entire summer, he had been holed up in his room with the lights off and blinds shut tight. He had started blacking out, often waking up in alleys or near the park with no memory of the entire day or how he had gotten there in the first place. Once or twice, he had woken up with the coppery-salty taste of blood on his tongue and teeth. More disturbing was the fact that he had awakened in the same location well over twenty times. It was almost always near this little yellow game shop with a green roof near the city, almost as if he was being drawn to it by some sort of intangible force. He had no idea of its significance, only that he was starting to dream about it.

Moreover, Joey was starting to think that he was going insane. The blackouts and memory loss he could blame on stress or his own absentmindedness, but on what could he blame the voices he was starting to hear? It was deep and menacing, and he was beginning to be afraid. He had gone to the library—a place that certainly felt alien to him—and done a bit of research on his condition. Mental illness? _Schizophrenia_? He was relieved to find that he wasn't alone, that obviously enough people had been experiencing these voices for it to be well-documented; nonetheless, it didn't help that the people usually associated with this illness weren't exactly…the most highly thought of. Furthermore, according to his research, the most common cause of schizophrenia was supposedly genetics, and he was sure that no one in his immediate family had ever been hospitalized for this. Sure, his pops was an alcoholic asshole, but when he was sober, he was an all-around good guy. While he didn't know too much about his mom due to his parents' divorce, he was pretty sure she was mentally stable. Why did he suddenly get the crazy genes? What's more, whatever was happening to him seemed to stem from that freaky head he had messed with. He had a feeling that what he was hearing was real.

Only he had nowhere to turn.

What could he say? "Pops, I'm starting to hear stuff in my head"? "Yo, Tristan, every now and again I wake up with the taste of blood in my mouth"? He would be locked up in a hospital high off his ass from medications being pumped in his veins. Besides…the owner of the voice in his head had done him no harm…at least not yet. He had tried resisting the impending blackout one night, trying with all his might to keep control; yet, it was as if he was growing weaker and the voice was getting stronger. It was common for him to be conscious for no more than a quarter of the day now. It was terrifying, but he always woke up in one piece without a scratch. If he had to coexist with some weird voice in his head, at least the guy was courteous.

Now, he was on his way back home after working up the nerve to check out the little game shop he kept being led to and dreaming about. He had decided to take the bull by the horns, and when he began the familiar path towards the shop, he felt a pang of excitement in his chest that he knew was not his. Something about this place or the people in it made the owner of the voice stir eagerly. Upon arrival, he couldn't see why. The Kame Game Shop was much tinier than all the other shops he'd been to in Domino, and while they had quite a bit of customers for a Sunday afternoon, it wasn't all that impressive. There were kids scurrying about, dragging frustrated mothers along with them, and a few guys he recognized from his own school. It was nothing spectacular or special. When his eyes landed on a short, old man with spiky gray hair under a yellow bandana, Joey again felt the stitch in his chest, as if the owner of the voice knew him. It was faint, but there. But when he continued his survey of the shop, he spotted two teens that he think he recognized from school. The smaller kid…his name was Yumi, Yuri…something like that. He was an outcast at school. Joey even remembered picking on him every once in a while for his outlandish hair. He felt his heart start to pound against his chest like a drum upon seeing the kid, and he knew that this Yuri kid had something to do with why he continued to be drawn to the shop. He was sitting in a window nook casually playing some card game with a taller lookalike. The taller kid was much more intimidating looking, with sharp red eyes that definitely freaked Joey out. Even in his own relaxed position before the smaller kid, Joey knew that he was definitely not someone to mess with. Nevertheless, he had no control over the wave of sheer elation that overcame him when he saw him. The voice knew him for sure. There was something about this eerie teenager.

"Uhm, hello? Can I help you with something?" the smaller kid asked. Without realizing it, he had advanced quite close to the pair and was now standing but a few feet from them. Staring. He jumped three feet out of his skin, especially when those narrowed red eyes were turned on him. He didn't speak, only observed him with silent regard, as if trying to read him. Joey felt the presence of the voice retreat immediately.

"I-I, no, my bad," Joey stuttered, beginning to back up. The smaller kid stood, tilting his head in question.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "You're Joey, right? I remember you from school."

"Yeah, sorry. I gotta go." With that, he rushed out of the entrance to the game shop, not slowing down until he was but a block or so from home.

The apartment he and his dad shared was in view now, just as the sky was beginning to dark to a dark pink-orange, and he had only answered one of his questions. Why was he being drawn to that game shop? Obviously because those two kids from school intrigued the voice in his head. Joey snorted. He really was starting to sound crazy, but he suspected that if he could give this voice what it wanted, it would go away. Maybe…maybe he should try talking to it? He shook his head, ridding himself of the thought. A quest for another day. He stopped when he saw a familiar face pacing outside his building. Tristan looked up as if expecting him, straightening up and stuffing his own hands in his pockets awkwardly. Joey raised an amused eyebrow, crossing his arms.

"Whaddya doin' here, man?"

Tristan shifted his eyes to the ground. "I've been trying to call you, dude. Can we talk?"

"Talk."

"Somewhere not so…public, maybe?" Tristan replied curtly. He gestured to an alley beside the apartment building. Joey rolled his eyes, but gestured for Tristan to head into the alley. He followed close behind. He could feel himself starting to lose control…he was going to black out. He had to deal with Tristan quickly.

"What."

"First of all, where've you been, man? I've called you over a hundred times since…that night."

"That night?" Joey feigned poor memory, tapping his chin with his index finger. He snapped as if he suddenly remembered what Tristan meant. "Ohhhhh, you mean the night you left me for dead?"

"Don't you think you're overreacting, Joe? I mean, I told you I was freaked out."

"Screw you, Tristan. I thought we were friends, but I see that you ain't shit when the goin' gets tough." Joey spat to the side, feeling the edges of his vision starting to darken. He fought stubbornly to keep control. "As for where I've been, well, that ain't your concern. If I wanted to talk to ya', I would've."

Tristan snorted. "Me? There's been plenty of times you bailed on me, bro."

"I'm not your bro, you insignificant waste of flesh." Joey's eyes widened. Okay, that wasn't his voice dishing out that insult. He was losing this fight. He gripped the side of his throbbing head.

Tristan began to back away slightly. "Whoa…dude, what's wrong with your eyes? They're…they're turning black."

Joey turned away, closing his eyes to try to focus on retaining control of himself. It wasn't working. It was as if he was forcefully being dragged out of consciousness by a power significantly stronger than him. He groaned, falling to one knee. "Ugh, no, no, stop!" he shouted, shaking his head. He felt a timid hand touch his shoulder. Tristan was speaking to him worriedly, but he could only see his lips moving. Something snapped, and he was ripped from his own body. The last thing he saw before completely succumbing to unconsciousness was Tristan's blood painting the brick walls.

* * *

**Slight disclaimer: I had/have no intention of offending anyone with the talk of schizophrenia in this chapter. I recognize that it is a documented mental illness backed by years of research and whatnot. Remember, that that was meant to be from Joey's POV, and he's not exactly a character to hold back, is he? He's more of a "say what you're thinking" kind of guy, and this is how I imagine he'd be thinking at the moment. No offense to anyone who may suffer or know someone who suffers from this illness.**

**Now, I really hope you guys enjoyed! Pleeeeeeease leave me reviews! They make me so happy!**

**-Mystie**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello all! Thanks for all the reviews, as well as the follows and favorites. I'm glad I decided to go ahead with the sequel! Let me know what you think!**

**-Mystie**

Chapter 2:

Yugi pulled his school jacket on, frowning at the itchy material on his arms. It had been a long, great summer, and the school uniform felt stiff and uncomfortable against his skin since it had been over three months since he'd worn it. He adjusted his collar, checking himself out in his mirror. It felt strange to be up so early and waking up in his own room after spending most of the summer wrapped in Yami's arms in his apartment. They had spent nearly every moment together—eating ice cream, going to the park, swimming…among other things. Yugi's cheeks turned pink. He had even taught Yami how to skate. It was quite a sight seeing his usually poised and regal Immortal struggling to stay on his feet, his legs wobbling and quivering like a newborn calf. After a day's worth of lessons, Yami had ultimately given in, preferring to keep his feet firmly planted on the ground. However, the memory would always make Yugi smile.

Now it was the second week of September, and school was starting up again today. Ordinarily, Yugi would be nervous, if not downright afraid. Returning to the prison that confined him with a list of bullies and tormentors for almost eight hours five days a week was not the most reassuring. For the past two years of high school, he had basically been tortured and terrorized by guys that towered over him. Now, things were different. He was an upperclassman now, a junior, and just that feeling alone gave him the slightest boost of confidence, even if he was at least a foot shorter than every other junior in school. More than that, though, was the fact that he had no reason to be afraid anymore. No one ever dared bully him with Yami around, as Yami made his protectiveness known with nothing more than his own intimidating presence. In fact, since their last run-in with Marik, Yugi hadn't gotten so much as a bruise. Yami watched him like a hawk, checked on him frequently, and defended him from anything or anyone that even appeared threatening. He shivered. The thought of Marik was enough to make his old wounds ache, and even now he suffered from the occasional nightmare about Marik brutalizing and violating him. Yet, Yami was always there to kiss the bad dreams away, and they would slowly fade to nothingness in the back of his mind. Still, as harsh as it sounded, he was glad the psychotic Immortal was dead, and he and Yami could live in peace.

"Yugi!" Grandpa shouted from downstairs. "Yami's here!"

Yugi smiled. Grandpa and Yami had gotten quite close over the summer, as well. The older man appreciated Yami's guard over his grandson, and thought that he and Yugi made a fantastic couple. Yami had even helped out in the game shop over the summer, as the store's hours lengthened during the summer season. Grandpa certainly appreciated the help, and would often reward him with a cup of his favorite tea or a box of strawberry-flavored pocky. Yugi used to wonder how his grandfather would react to his being gay, even though he himself had no idea that he was even attracted to men until he met Yami. Sexual orientations felt so trivial and laughable when it came to the person who completed the other half of your soul, who gave your life purpose and meaning. Yugi didn't prefer men over women or women over men; he preferred Yami over anything. Nonetheless, Grandpa still had no idea that Yami was an Immortal, and Yugi intended to keep it that way. It was safer for all of them if he just remained ignorant.

With one last look in the mirror, Yugi pulled his backpack on his shoulders and headed downstairs, where he found Grandpa and Yami casually joking and laughing as usual. They stopped when they saw Yugi, both with smiles on their faces. Yugi returned the grin. "Hey, Yami, ready for school?"

"As ready as I'll ever be, Little One," Yami replied with a slight shrug. He held out his hand and Yugi intertwined their fingers.

"What about breakfast, boys?" Grandpa suggested.

"Nah, that's okay, Grandpa. We'd better get going," Yugi said. He and Yami waved goodbye as they headed out the door towards school. Forever the gentleman, Yami took Yugi's backpack and swung it over his own shoulder, then re-laced their fingers together. It was already humid outside, and by the looks of it, the day was going to be rather warm and sticky.

"Did you hear the news last night? A kid from our school was murdered last night," Yugi said sadly, shaking his head. The late-night news last night had flashed a picture of the victim, and though he didn't know him personally, he was sure he had seen him around campus a few times. He was always around that Joey kid who had shown up at the game shop the previous night, and Yugi remembered that the two of them stirred up quite a bit of trouble around Domino. Even so, the news of Tristan's death made Yugi's heart hurt.

"I did. It's a real shame. They said that he was slaughtered beyond recognition. The only way they could identify him was through the ID in his wallet. The police have no leads at all. The case will more than likely run cold." Yugi shivered involuntarily. A murderer on the loose? Was he targeting Domino youth? As if reading his mind, Yami squeezed his hand reassuringly. "You don't have to worry, Little One. You know I won't let anything happen to you."

Yugi half-smiled appreciatively. "I know, Yami. It's not just that. I'm worried about all the kids at school, not just myself." Yami's eyes softened. Yugi never ceased to amaze him with his genuine concern for others, even those who certainly didn't deserve it. The kids he worried about harassed him on a daily basis, yet he still wished for nothing more than their safety and happiness.

"It will be fine, Yugi. If it makes you feel better, I will do night vigils of the city until this murderer is either caught or leaves the city. I do not want you feeling unsafe."

"Really?" Yugi asked, the school grounds starting to come into view. "Are you sure, Yami? I don't want you to get hurt either."

Yami snorted as if the idea was inconceivable. "I won't. It's nothing more than a human pest."

* * *

Although the school day was going by smoothly, Yugi couldn't help but miss Yami even more than usual. After spending so much time together throughout the summer, it felt odd to only see one another during breaks. Yami was also a senior this year—at least for all intents and purposes—and the senior building was secluded and quite far from the junior building. Upon entering school grounds, the administration had set up a memorial shrine outside the main building with a picture of Tristan surrounded by small candles, flowers, and words of endearment. Some students left their own cards and trinkets, and even more grieved his loss. The ones who knew him seemed to be devastated, while those who didn't were more interested in how the murder had happened. Nothing like this had ever really happened in Domino, and it sent the school into a buzz of gossip and unease. Now Yugi was in his final class before lunch, and Yugi was watching the clock and tapping his fingers impatiently on his desk. The first day of school was always so repetitive. "Welcome to my class" and "We're going to have a great year" and "Here's your syllabus for the year" and "Let's all get to know each other." Yugi could only think about being with Yami again.

He did notice, however, that he shared this class with that kid who had shown up at the shop last night. Joey was his name. For some reason, Yugi had always thought that he was at least a grade ahead of him, and this was his first time he had ever had a class with him. What was odd, though, was the fact that Yugi knew for a fact that Joey and Tristan had been close, yet Joey seemed to have no emotion for the loss of his friend. Every time he saw one, he usually saw the other. They were infamous school pranksters and borderline bullies; Joey had even tried locking him in one of the lockers in between classes one day last year. With them being so close, Yugi had half-assumed that Joey would have either skipped school today or at least appear as distressed as some of the other Tristan's friends. Yet, he sat stoically at his desk throughout class, almost appearing to be bored. Yugi knew he was no academic scholar, and by no means did school seem to be his favorite place to be, but this indifferent façade slightly concerned Yugi. He had caught Joey staring at him, as well, as if he wanted to say something to him, but every time Yugi caught him, Joey immediately turned his attention elsewhere.

The lunch bell brought Yugi out of his thoughts, and he looked around, noticing that most of the students had already filed out of the classroom towards the cafeteria building. Even the teacher had turned to his desk and brought out his own packed lunch. Yugi stood and started packing his backpack, eager to get to meet Yami at his locker. It would take some time for Yami to arrive, so he didn't rush. Suddenly, someone stood behind him, and Yugi jumped at the presence behind him. It was Joey. Yugi wasn't exactly surprised—he had half-expected that Joey wanted to speak to him—but that didn't make him any less wary and uncomfortable. He and the blonde teen didn't exactly have the best history.

"J-Joey? Hey, what's up?" Yugi asked nervously.

"You're Yugi, right? You live in that game shop."

"I-yeah, that's right."

Joey offered him a small smile, raising his hands in surrender. "Chill, man, I didn't mean to freak you out or anything. Just makin' conversation."

Yugi relaxed, but only slightly. "Yeah, I know, sorry."

"You headin' to lunch?" Joey inquired.

"Uhm, not yet. I'm going to my locker first to meet someone."

"That Yami kid." Yugi nodded slowly, surprised. It was surprising that Joey even knew his name, let alone Yami's. "Well, I'm goin' that way. Mind if I walk you there?"

"Uh, sure, Joey." Well, as peculiar as this whole situation was, Yugi figured that if he wanted his questions answered, this would be the way to do it. They started towards Yugi's locker at the very end of the hall. "So…I'm really sorry to hear about your friend."

"Who?"

"Tristan?" Yugi said incredulously. "I-I mean, I just assumed you guys were friends."

"Oh, yeah. Thanks, man. We were pretty close, I guess." Joey said uninterestingly. Perhaps he and Tristan weren't as close as Yugi had presumed. That would explain why Joey was acting so impassively. They stopped before his locker, and Joey looked at him expectantly.

"Joey? Why did you come to the game shop last night and leave so suddenly?" The question had been nipping at Yugi's mind since it had happened. Joey shrugged.

"I dunno. Was just browsin' around, I guess. Then I had to go do somethin'." He buried his hands in his pockets. "That's not why I wanted to talk to you, though."

Yugi blinked. "Then…what?" Joey moved slightly closer, uncomfortably so. Yugi was almost pressed against the lockers behind him. He furrowed his brows in confusion. "Joey?"

"I wanna get to know ya," he replied softly. Yugi swallowed, finally meeting his eyes. They had darkened lustfully, and Yugi's heart started to beat frantically in his chest. This was starting to remind him of something he was fighting desperately to forget. Joey brought his hands to Yugi's cheeks, thumbing them softy. Yugi gasped. What the hell was happening? He felt paralyzed, although he wanted to move. It was as if he _couldn't_. Joey was moving closer, his eyes darkening so much that they were almost black, and Yugi felt his head tilting upwards involuntarily. No…no, he didn't want this. Joey's eyes slipped close.

"What in the _fuck_ do you think you're doing?" Joey immediately dropped his hands, his eyes turning to the source of the voice. The trance Yugi was in instantly severed, leaving him in a dazed state of confusion. His head hurt now, and he blinked hard a few times to lift the cloud from his mind. Suddenly, Yami was between the two of them, standing protectively in front of Yugi. Yugi glanced around him, noting that Joey's eyes had lightened back to their original honey brown, and he wondered if what had happened had all been in his head. Joey seemed shocked, but not afraid.

"Just havin' a conversation, bro. Relax." Joey smirked, happy that he was getting under Yami's skin.

"That looked like more than a conversation to me. You have no right to touch him." Yami's eyes narrowed. "He's not yours to touch."

"I didn't hear him complainin'," Joey continued, the smirk deepening to an outright sneer. He glanced behind Yami at Yugi and winked. Yami growled.

"Don't let me see you near him again," Yami stated definitively. The unspoken "or I'll rip you apart" lingered between them. Again, Joey seemed unfazed, pushing his hands back in his pockets. He started back down the hall towards the exit, winked again over his shoulder, and smiled.

"See ya' soon, Yug'."


	3. Chapter 3

**Yay, two chapters in one day, just like I used to. Haha. Don't forget to review guys! I appreciate it! ^.^**

**-Mystie**

Chapter 3:

In Yami's opinion, the first day back to school was going by painfully slow. Then again, every school day seemed to pass by sluggishly. He was over five millennia old, for Ra's sake, and he had repeated high school more times in more places that he could count for appearance's sake. There was little that any of these instructors could teach him that he didn't already know from years of repetitive schoolwork. He had read Shakespeare in more than eight languages in places all over the globe, memorized every arithmetical equation necessary, and stomached down so many government-mandated lunches that he had grown tired of the monotony. Besides, every inch of him craved Yugi. The summer had been fantastic—they'd made love more times than he could count—but now he had grown so accustomed to being around him that it was almost painful to be so far from his little one. Well, at least he was done repeating high school after this year. Yugi would graduate the following year, and then they were free to do whatever they wished. If Yugi wanted to continue with school, Yami would follow him. If he wanted to move away and travel the world, Yami would be right beside him.

This calculus class was exhausting—the teacher was already trying to give a lecture to no avail. No one was paying much attention. The students' brains were still on summer mode, and trying to mix in mathematical algorithms was trying to mix oil with water. Yami felt sorry for the new teacher. He would learn that the first day was for introductions and relaxation soon enough. Yami glanced at the clock hanging above the whiteboard. Three minutes until lunch. Three minutes until he saw Yugi. He shifted in his seat uncomfortably, suppressing a groan. Three minutes too long. He wondered if Yugi was as impatient as he was, if he was watching the time wind down, too. Finally, the bell rang and Yami quickly packed up his things and headed out the door. Unfortunately, he was further from Yugi this year, so he walk-ran towards the junior building. This would be the longest break he would get with Yugi until upperclassman study hall seventh period, when the juniors and seniors all squeezed into the library to "study." The building came into sight, and Yami opened the door quickly. Most students had already cleared out for lunch, and the hall was almost silent save for one familiar voice and one that wasn't quite as used to. Yami narrowed his eyes. It wasn't as if Yugi wasn't social; in fact, ever since the two of them had become close, Yugi's confidence had started to blossom, and he would often talk to others casually now instead of trying to avoid them. What bothered him was who the voice belonged to.

Yami had never personally met Joey Wheeler, though his reputation preceded him. He was not exactly thought highly of by any form of authority, often getting into trouble with the law and the teachers. He was no Ushio, but he was some kind of bully, and Yami knew kids like him would prey on someone as sweet as Yugi. Even if he had been ignorant of Joey's character, something about the blonde had put him off the previous night. He acted odd, just staring at the two of them as they played Duel Monsters by the window. Yami had felt…something. He didn't know what it was or what it meant, but something about the kid had made the hair on the back of his neck stand. Maybe familiarity? Not likely. But _something_. The feeling had disappeared before he could identify it. He didn't like him. He certainly didn't trust him. Now he was around the one person in this world Yami cared for, and Yami would have none of it.

He turned the corner that led to Yugi's locker, peeking at the pair. All seemed fine at first; the two of them chatted coolly, though Yami could see that Yugi was a bit nervous. Perhaps he got the same off-putting feeling about Joey that Yami did. As the conversation continued, Yami began to wonder if maybe his overprotectiveness had simply clouded his judgment, and that Joey was just a normal douchebag and not a threat.

That was until he saw Joey make a move on Yugi.

He almost had Yugi pressed against the lockers, and Yugi seemed frozen, entranced even. It was as if he couldn't move from fear. Yami's eyes widened. Who the hell did this kid think he was? Yami himself felt frozen from shock, but quickly got over it, darting towards the pair instantly.

"What in the _fuck_ do you think you're doing?" he demanded. His voice almost cracked from the sheer anger pumping through his veins. He felt Yugi lean against him slightly. Joey's snarky responses did little to slacken Yami's rage. He ordered that Joey never come around Yugi again, and stared him down until he exited the building. When they were alone, he released a shaky breath. That kid was really pushing all the right buttons to get himself beat down, and had it not been for their location, Yami might have given in to his fury. He exhaled deeply to calm himself and turned to Yugi. His eyes were dazed and unfocused, and he gripped his head as if in pain. "Yugi? Are you alright? Did he hurt you?" he asked quickly, fearing that he had gotten to Yugi too late. Yugi shook his head, both in response to the question and to clear his clouded mind. His amethyst eyes finally focused on Yami.

"I'm fine, Yami…what happened?"

"That creep can't take a hint, obviously. I should have ripped his head off," Yami growled. He took Yugi's hand and headed towards the courtyard. Yugi let Yami lead, still a bit confused by the whole situation. They reached the yard and picked a spot by the fountains, sitting on the crisp grass. Yugi shrugged his jacket off. It had gotten rather warm. Other students sat sporadically around the courtyard enjoying their lunches. Yami pulled Yugi into his lap, hugging him close. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Just have a little headache, I think," Yugi replied with a smile. "I can't believe that happened. Joey was acting really weird."

"Indeed," Yami agreed, biting his lower lip. That could have been a lot worse than it actually had been. "Yugi, I want you to stay away from him. Promise me."

"Yami, it's not a big deal, really," Yugi assured him.

"Promise me. Something about that kid…I don't like it." Yami shook his head. "I don't trust him around you, and he obviously has no respect for me."

"He's just a flirt," Yugi said, dismissing the thought. Though he had been surprised by Joey's actions, he hadn't hurt him or anything. "Trust me, Yami, please? I'm okay."

Yami sighed. He had no proof that Joey meant Yugi any harm, just that he was an oversexed teenager who obviously had a thing for Yugi. That didn't make the feeling go away, though. Nonetheless, Yami had to show that he trusted Yugi, even if his judgment could be a bit biased at times. He nodded firmly, dropping the subject. He wouldn't let the actions of a hormonal teen ruin his lunch with Yugi. Yugi pulled out sandwiches for them both from his backpack, and Yami smiled. No matter how many times he had reminded Yugi that it was unnecessary for him to eat human food, Yugi still insisted, packing him a sandwich or something similar everyday. They enjoyed lunch in peace, Yami sneaking in kisses to Yugi's neck or temple between conversations. It wasn't long before the situation with Joey disappeared to the back of his mind.

* * *

The next two periods after lunch flew by, and Yugi couldn't have been happier that this day was coming to an end. He tucked his ordeal with Joey in the back of his head. He hadn't seen him since, after all. He knew Yami was still disturbed by the whole thing, but Yugi truly felt that it was nothing more than a typical attempt at PDA that went bad. Joey wasn't a bad guy. He was just…well…a guy. Still, when the bell released him from chemistry to study hall, he scurried to the library, just in case. He was unprepared for the amount of students crowded in the large building, most of them chatting away instead of getting any kind of work done. All of their hushed whispers creating a dull roar within the library, and Yugi scanned the throngs of people for any sign of Yami. It was basically impossible for him to see past all of the students who were quite taller than him, and he struggled to spot the unique mane of hair he and Yami possessed. It was no use. Besides, he had gotten to the library rather fast. It was likely that Yami wasn't even there yet. He found an empty table in a corner near the entrance, hoping that when Yami arrived, he would see him. To pass time, he reached into his backpack and grabbed a deck of Duel Monsters cards, flipping through them. He had recently added a few new spell cards and traps to his collection, and he enjoyed browsing through them. He almost jumped when two hands were placed in front of his eyes from behind and warm breath was on his neck.

"Guess who?" Yugi felt his heart skip a beat. He figured Yami had slipped in and caught him off-guard, but this voice definitely didn't belong to him. The accent was hard to miss.

"J-Joey?" The hands were removed, and Yugi turned and was met with golden brown eyes and a smirk. "What are you doing here?"

Joey helped himself to a seat and scooted next to Yugi. He took a quick glance around. "Your overprotective boyfriend ain't here?"

"He's on his way…is there something you wanted, Joey?" Yugi asked. He didn't mean to sound rude, but this was a bit uncomfortable. He had dismissed the situation in the hall earlier, yet here he was again. This time, Yami was nowhere in sight.

"I told'ja, Yug', I just wanna get to know ya," Joey replied with a smile, his chin resting in his palm.

"Like…as friends?" Yugi asked, trying to thwart his attempts.

"Hmm," Joey hummed, "somethin' like that. Why don't you take a walk with me to the park tonight? We can get to know each other plenty."

Alarms rang in Yugi's head. "I don't know if that's a good idea actually."

"Aw, c'mon, Yug'," Joey lifted his hand to push a bang out of Yugi's face, then forced his face towards his own. "What could happen?" Once again, Yugi found himself staring at darkened eyes, and once again, his head drummed loudly in his ears. He was unable to look away. Joey's eyes had gone from a bronze-y brown to the color of mud, and were still blackening. Yugi's peripheral vision disappeared, and all he could see was Joey. Was he even breathing? He wasn't sure. "Come with me, Yugi."

"I'll…come with you," Yugi found himself saying. No, no, no, take it back! But he couldn't. Joey's smile deepened mischievously.

"I'll see you at eight."

* * *

**Bad Joey. No means no! haha, let me know what you think!**

**-Mystie**


	4. Chapter 4

***peeks head in* Hello? Anyone in here? /: Haha, okay, I'm really sorry guys. I bet it seemed like I was abandoning this story, but I swear I'm not! I'm back! **

**-Mystie**

Chapter 4:

This was stupid. No, this was beyond stupid. This was _insane_.

Yugi couldn't believe what he had agreed to. A walk…in the park…at _night_…with a STRANGER. Okay, maybe Joey wasn't a complete stranger, but Yugi certainly didn't know him well enough to be alone with him. It was dangerous and foolish, and if Yami found out, he would be enraged. Yugi had no idea what kind of spell Joey seemed to put him under; yet whenever he was near, and he looked directly into Joey's honey brown eyes, every rational thought seemed to evaporate, along with his hold on his own will. It was weird…and scary. It had happened twice now, and Yugi wanted answers. Even Yami didn't have that effect on him.

It was because of this—his intense curiosity—that he had yet to call Joey and completely cancel their outing. (Well, that, and he had no idea how to even get in contact with the freaky teen.) He had even kept their meeting from Yami for the rest of the day, insisting that he had a mountain of homework to do, and that he would see Yami in the morning. Yami had been skeptical, and Yugi had a feeling that the Immortal didn't believe him. However, Yami was never one to push or prod Yugi into something he didn't want, and after walking him home after school and giving him a deep kiss, he had left Yugi to his own. Besides, Yugi thought with guilty bite of his lip, Yami trusted him. The guilt and shame for lying to Yami weighed heavily on Yugi's conscience. He tried to soothe the burning remorse by ensuring himself that he hadn't technically lied about the ordeal…he had merely omitted the information. Of course, that did little to appease his mind.

Why was he doing this anyway? After all the danger he had been in the past few months—dealing with bullies and thugs at school, along with the crazed Marik—why was he putting himself in harm's way? Well, for one, he didn't feel Joey was dangerous, per se. He was hormonal and flirtatious, sure. But he was no Marik. There was more to it than that, though. Yugi had something to prove to himself. Before he met Yami, he had run away from anything that seemed potentially unsafe. Then, after meeting Yami, he had taken great comfort in knowing that he would always be protected wrapped in the Immortal's strong arms. Yugi just wanted to prove that he could be brave without the ever-watchful gaze of Yami's, that he could hold his own in some situations. It wasn't as if he didn't appreciate Yami's protectiveness; in fact he adored it. He just needed a little self-assurance. Maybe he couldn't handle murderous Immortals, but he was certain he could deal with Joey himself.

Besides, he was just another human like he was.

Joey had made sure to almost completely disappear into the crowd of students after coercing Yugi to meet him at the library earlier that day. It was a good thing, too, since Yami had shown up only seconds later, apologizing to Yugi for being late. Yugi was still trying to wrap his mind around what had happened, yet he refrained from filling Yami in. Not only would Yami have overreacted and blown the situation out of proportion, but he would probably feel a little guilty about leaving Yugi vulnerable. So Yugi remained silent about it all, and now, alone in his room, he was starting to get anxious. It was 7:45, and he would leave to meet Joey at the park in about five minutes. He had convinced himself to be brave all day, but now that the time was coming that he would have to listen…well, he was having second thoughts. He jumped three feet out of his skin when he heard a knock on his bedroom door.

"Yugi? Are you okay in there?" Grandpa asked, pushing open the door slightly and peeking in. Yugi threw on a slightly forced smile, swallowing his nerves.

"I'm fine, Grandpa. Why do you ask?" He hoped his voice didn't betray him.

"Well, you've been in your room since you got home from school, my boy," he explained. He looked around the room curiously. "That, and there's no sign of Yami. Did you two have a fight?" Yugi swallowed thickly again, his mind quickly (and surprisingly) concocting a lie.

"Of course not, Grandpa. Yami just had a lot of homework to do. You know…being a senior and all," he lied. "Actually, I'm heading over to his apartment in a minute to see him for a few hours…if that's okay with you?" His grandfather hesitated for a second, then nodded slowly, as if he didn't quite believe his grandson. Once again, Yugi found himself feeling guilty for misusing the trust his grandpa had in him, but it was necessary. Yugi mentally decided that he would put in a few extra hours of work in the shop over the weekend to make up for his lie. Grandpa told him to make sure he took a jacket with him, and then left him alone again in his room. Yugi released a shaky breath. It was now or never.

* * *

Less than five minutes later, Yugi was on his way towards the park to meet Joey. It was a good thing he had listened to Grandpa about the jacket—it really was pretty cold outside. It was dark, and Yugi made sure to stay in the lit path that led to the park. He stopped a few times, thinking someone was following him. Yet, there was no one. He picked up speed and arrived at the park right at eight. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and glanced around for Joey. Maybe…maybe he wouldn't show up after all. Yugi wasn't sure if that would make him happy or piss him off. He was a bit terrified, so Joey's going AWOL would certainly be no skin off his nose. But he had worked up the nerve to come here alone, dammit. He had lied to Yami _and_ his grandpa. Joey had better show up for all the crap he had put him through.

Yugi sat down under the tallest willow tree. It was a spot that was familiar to him. It was…his and Yami's spot. They had had picnics, talked, kissed, and cuddled many a time under this particular tree. The memories warmed Yugi's chest, and he found himself smiling. When he heard footsteps, however, his head snapped up, and he was greeted with soft brown eyes and a playful smirk.

"Yug'," Joey began, offering Yugi a hand to stand up, "you came. I kinda thought you wouldn't." Yugi brushed himself off. "Whatcha smilin' for?"

"Just thinking about something, is all," Yugi responded. "As for coming…well, I told you I would, so here I am." He shrugged nervously.

"Walk with me?"

"…sure."

The two made their way back onto the cobble path that winded through the park, their heels clicking on the stones. Yugi wasn't sure what to say, so he remained quiet. Joey watched him carefully, but Yugi acted as if he didn't notice. When they stopped, Yugi realized they were in front of the lake that was almost a mile from the willow tree. It was not the most well-lit area, and it was deathly quiet and empty, save for the cicadas and other bugs.

"I thought you wouldn't show," Joey repeated, his smirk still in place. "And I figured you would've told your crazy boyfriend, and he would show up and try to beat my ass or somethin'."

Yugi barely contained a giggle. "No, it's fine. But I'm curious why you asked me here, Joey. I mean, I made it obvious today that I'm…uninterested. Yami…he's my world, and he doesn't really care for you."

"Yeah, he made that more than clear," Joey said. "But I can't help how drawn I feel towards you, Yugi." Yugi bit his lip. "See that? That right there, what you're doing with your lip? That just lures me in even more."

Yugi furrowed his brows in confusion. "Biting my lip? I do that when I don't know what to say. It's just a bad habit." Yugi shook his head, taking a slight step back. This was certainly getting weird.

"It's a _sexy_ habit."

Yugi cleared his throat, itching to change the subject. "R-really, Joey, I just wanted to come tonight to make it clear for once th-that we can't do this…this…whatever this is. I wanted to tell you at the library, but it just seems like every time I look into your eyes, I—" Yugi paused. Joey was suddenly very, _very_ close. "I…" He tried to step back again to put space between them, but found that Joey had apparently grabbed his wrists, keeping him in place. Not to mention…he was captivated by those eyes. Again.

"You…?" Joey's voice was almost a purr now.

"I…can't look away."

"Can't, or don't want to?"

"J-Joey, please," Yugi managed out. His will was slipping again, but this time he was aware of it, and fighting it. What the hell was he thinking coming out here alone? Now he was scared. Now…he wanted Yami. Joey, whose smirk had yet to disappear, was leaning in close now. Yugi knew what he was going to do, and he did NOT want it.

But he couldn't move.

"Joey, stop, p-please!" he forced out. He was fighting helplessly against something he couldn't see, some force that kept him bound like chains. "Don't…mmph!" Joey's lips lowered themselves onto Yugi's. Yugi felt his eyes slip closed, his legs almost collapsing beneath him. This kiss…it was weakening him, and not in the good way. His own lips moved involuntarily against Joey's, and he felt his breathing slowing. He was going to lose consciousness. Joey pulled back slightly, and Yugi was able to crack open his eyes. Staring back at him were not the golden brown of Joey's eyes. Instead, they were lilac with red rims. This…this should alarm Yugi, but his mind couldn't piece together why. Before he could think again, Joey's lips were on his again.

He was milliseconds from a blackout when a furious growl sounded from behind him.

* * *

**Okay, hopefully this makes up for my absence. I promise I will never ever go this long without updating again! I can has reviews? **


	5. Chapter 5

Since his transformation over five millennia ago, the Immortal ruler Yami had been virtually alone. His throne snatched from him and his father assassinated, Yami had decided it best to remain solo, instead finding fulfillment in his duties as ruler. He had dodged his own share of murder attempts, and killed even more—all in the name of peace, of course. His power was unmatched; his senses were keen and sharp, his speed was unsurpassed, and he could easily destroy a human army without breaking a sweat.

So what was the all-powerful king of Immortals doing? Well. He was pouting.

Maybe pouting was a bit exaggerated, but he was certainly bummed out. It was odd. Never before had he found himself so emotionally dependent on a person, especially not a human. It was equally surprising that he had become so accustomed to his and Yugi's routine. Walk him to school, spend as much time with him as possible, walk him home, spend all night with him. It was that simple. Now that he and Yugi were apart for the first night in a while…Yami couldn't help but feel deflated. He missed his little one. He craved just being in the other's presence. Nonetheless, Yugi had made it clear that he was busy that night, and Yami had no choice to respect that.

That didn't mean he was any less irritable.

For one, Yugi was lying about having homework. That hurt Yami to his core. It was the first day back to school, for goodness sake. No teacher ever gave out homework on the first day, and if they did, it certainly was not enough to bog Yugi down the way he made it seem. However, Yami trusted his Yugi, and he knew that if Yugi felt the need to lie, that he probably had a good reason to. Yami didn't want to seem overbearing; the last time he had, he and Yugi had split up, and things had ended badly. Maybe Yugi just needed a little space. Perfectly understandable. They spent every minute of the day together.

So…why didn't Yami feel better?

Maybe it was the fact that Yugi had started acting weird at the library earlier in the afternoon. He was distracted, and no amount of prodding could make him open up. What's more, Yami still felt incredibly uneasy about that Joey kid. He wasn't sure why. The blonde was nothing more than a pesky human who seemed to have some sort of thing for Yugi, and Yami knew undoubtedly that Yugi did not return his affections. Was Yami—dare he say it—_jealous_? Pfft. Hardly. But something sent off alarms in his body whenever Joey was around, and he would not let him keep touching his little one. Yugi had recovered from his ordeal with Marik, even though he sometimes had nightmares that Yami had to kiss away. The whole matter made Yami especially observant about who hung around Yugi. Everyone became a suspect.

Yami glanced at the clock on his kitchen wall. It was almost eight at night. He had yet to hear from Yugi, not even a phone call. He sighed deeply. Even if Yugi had loads of homework, it wouldn't have taken him almost four hours to complete. He should be done by now. He nodded to himself to justify his reasoning. Surely Yugi wanted to see him, or at least talk to him as much as Yami did. Besides, Yami should at least check on his little love. Feeling reassured, Yami left his apartment complex and began the semi-long walk towards the game shop, picking up speed as he got closer without meaning to. Just one little pick-me-up from Yugi—that's all he needed. He shook his head as the shop came into view. Geez, he sounded like a drug addict looking for a fix. He guessed he was in a way. He was undeniably addicted to his sweet Yugi. Finally, he approached the front door, knocking on it sturdily three times, expecting Yugi to answer. Instead, he was surprised to see Yugi's Grandpa, steaming cup of tea in his wrinkled hands. He smiled politely at Yami in greeting, but then frowned slightly.

"Yami? What are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry it's a bit late, Mr. Motou," Yami said with a slight bow. Grandpa dismissed his apology quickly.

"No, no, I mean, what are you doing here _alone_?"

Yami looked perplexed. "Should…should I be here with someone?"

"Yugi left here almost fifteen minutes ago. He said he was heading to your apartment." Grandpa's frown deepened. "Did he _lie_ to me?"

Yami's eyebrows shot up in alarm. "T-to my apartment?" He thought quickly. "Oh, right, my mistake. I thought I told him I would meet him here. It's my fault, Mr. Motou. I bet we walked right past each other and didn't even notice…" The lie just tumbled out of his mouth, but his brain was in overdrive. "I better head back home before he has the chance to leave. I'll see you tomorrow." He turned to leave.

"Yami."

Yami released a shaky breath, but turned back to the older man. "Y-yes."

"I don't know what's going on, but please bring Yugi home safe and sound." With that, he closed the door, leaving Yami a confused wreck.

Yugi had lied to him _and_ his grandfather. Neither of them had any clue why.

Where the hell was his little one?

* * *

After the first day of school, Joey didn't remember much. Yet again, the entire day had been one big blur. The presence in his mind was growing stronger and stronger, while his own will seemed to be dwindling by the hour. When he was in control, he felt tired and indifferent, as if a leech was lapping up his energy. When he was tired, he was weak; and when he was weak, he lost control again. It was a never-ending cycle, it seemed. What was worse was the fact that despite the holes in his memory, he knew he had killed his best friend the night before. He didn't know how, but he knew he was the last one to talk to Tristan, and he had been found so close to his apartment. He wanted to turn himself in; besides, it wasn't his fault. In fact, it technically wasn't even him that committed the crime to begin with. However, he thought better of it. How would he ever explain that to the police? "My hands did it…but not my mind"? No. Hell no. This presence…it seemed to have some sort of weird obsession with that Yugi kid. Whenever it took control, it always seemed to scope out the spiky-haired teen. Joey needed to know why, but didn't know how to find out. This thing had proven itself to be dangerous, and not only did Joey not want to risk his own life by somehow angering it, but he also felt some weird innate duty to warn that kid if he was in potential danger, too.

When he got home after school, he was unsurprised to see his father gone and the apartment a mess. He was probably out getting an early start on the hangover he would undoubtedly have the next morning. Whatever, it didn't really concern him. Joey had other plans for the evening. He was determined to get some answers from this thing. He had finally accepted that he was not crazy, and that something was seriously wrong. He had to get to the bottom of this before someone else ended up like Tristan. He didn't know a better way to get to the bottom of what it wanted than by just talking to it. He tossed his backpack to the worn sofa and slipped off his shoes. Ordinarily, he'd grab an after school snack, but he had no appetite. Plus, knowing his father, the cupboards and fridge were probably close to empty anyway. He made his way towards his room, the door creaking close behind him. Sitting down slowly on his bed, he ran his fingers through his blonde mane.

"Look," he began softly but sturdily, "I-I know you're in 'dere, in my head." He paused, waiting for a response he was sure he wouldn't get. He cleared his throat and continued. "Whaddya want from me? I ain't even do nothin' to ya'." Joey waited somewhat impatiently again. "Answer me, dammit! If you're gonna vacation in my head, then you damn well better answer me when I talk to ya'!" He was greeted with yet another disappointing silence at first, then suddenly he felt a burst of energy leaving his body. He fell forward, catching himself, using one hand to keep himself steady on the bed and the other to grip his chest. His breath came out raggedly, but he forced himself to sit upright and look around his room. He was no longer alone; something was with him. "Sh-show yourself!"

"_Who are _you_ to demand anything of me?"_

Joey gasped at the sudden deep, menacing voice that filled his head, searching frantically for the owner. "Who are you to just camp out in my head without my permission?!" he demanded. "I said show yourself, you coward!"

A chuckle. _"Watch your tongue, human. You haven't a clue who you are talking to. I could destroy you without breaking a sweat!"_

Despite the situation, Joey smirked. "Yeah, you probably could, but then that would destroy you, too. You _need_ me. Face facts."

Yet another chuckle, but this one was filled with amusement. _"You really are simple, aren't you?"_

"If I'm so 'simple,' then why the hell are you usin' me?" Joey argued. "And what the hell do you want from me? What did you do to Tristan!"

"_I have used you as a vessel for that very reason—you are simple-minded and easily controlled."_

Joey got to his feet immediately, hands balled into fists. "Come out here and say that to my face, ya' yellow-bellied ghost!" Before he could utter another word, his arm was twisted in an unnatural angle behind him by some unseen force. He screamed out, teeth gritted in pain, as he fell to his knees.

"_Know this. You are dispensable. You'll do well to respect me, Joseph. Understood?"_

"Gah—yes! Stop, let go of me!" Joey yelled, his teeth gritted in pain. The grip on his arm tightened in one more act of superiority before releasing him all together, leaving him a crumpled mess on his bedroom floor. So obviously…he wouldn't be able to deal with this thing in the way he would handle any punk. Force wouldn't work. He had to be a bit more tactful or he'd end up like Tristan. He regained his composure, getting off the floor to sit on the edge of his bed. "Well then," he said after takin a deep breath, "if you're gonna be rentin' out my head, can I at least get a few questions answered?" There was no response, but Joey felt the presence still there, and he took the silence as a yes. "Who are you? What do you want with that Yugi-kid?"

"_That is none of your concern." _Joey resisted the urge to growl in frustration. This was getting nowhere…but at least he was still breathing, which is more than Tristan could say. Okay, so Yugi was off-limits for now. Maybe if he took a different approach?

"You know, it don't have to be dat way," he started cautiously. He felt the intensity of the presence subside ever-so-slightly. "I know what you're doin'—threatening me to make sure I do whatcha want. I'm pretty familiar with that strategy myself, ya' know?" There was no reply, urging him to continue. "We don't have to do dat. I mean, you scratch my back, I scratch yours." Joey wasn't exactly sure where he was going to go with this, but maybe if this thing thought that they were partners, in a sense, rather than the parasite-host thing they had going on, then he could ensure that he'd come out of this unharmed while he figured out how to evict it from his head. Again, he was met with a brief silence, but before he could continue again, he was suddenly feet of the ground, gagging and sputtering as if he was being strangled in mid-air. His hands fumbled to the unseen grip around his throat, eyes snapping closed.

"_Do you take me for a _fool_?" _The voice barked sharply as Joey squirmed and thrashed about in the air. _"I can read your mind, you daft buffoon. You believe that you can get rid of me just like that?"_ The pressure around his throat tightened even more, and Joey could feel that he was on the brink of unconsciousness. He fought frantically, knowing that if he passed out now there was truly no telling what would happen to him or anyone else that got in this thing's way. There was an inhumane snarl before he was dropped unceremoniously to the hard ground, bringing his clammy hands to his throat and gasping for ragged breaths. His vision cleared slightly as he looked up with wide, frightful eyes, still finding no one in the room with him.

"_Listen to me, boy. You will do what I command of you whenever I command it. You are but a vessel—a physical dwelling for our souls. I have kept you around thus far simply because you make it easier for me to accomplish my goal. But you will do well to remember that it is only your body that I require to do just that. I could shred your soul to bits with a simple command."_

Joey wheezed, greedily swallowing lungfulls of air, narrowing his eyes. "W-what _are_ you?" There was a haughty laugh before the unnerving voice of the twisted presence filled his head.

"_A king regaining his throne."_

* * *

In the short amount of time that it took Yami to pick up on Yugi's scent, dozens of scenarios of what could have possibly befallen his love had crossed his mind. Though he knew Yugi had lied to him about his homework, he would _never_ lie to his grandfather. Yami knew that. At least, not without a very good reason. Suppose Yugi _had_ decided to come surprise him at his apartment…but never made it there. That would mean someone was hurting him, had probably already hurt him. Yami felt his blood boil at the very thought. Think rationally, he told himself. If Yugi had gotten anywhere near his apartment, Yami would have sensed him.

No, Yugi had indeed lied to Solomon, for his scent led him in the completely opposite direction from the city. In fact, he was in the park that he had first taken Yugi to the night after they'd met. Yami swallowed thickly, something not settling well in his stomach. Why would Yugi come here at night without him and lie to his grandpa about where he was going? Unless…Yugi was meeting someone else here? Was Yugi _cheating_ on him? Yami's eyes burned unexpectantly. No, stop, he thought. Yugi loved him. He knew that. So then what? Why come here? Yugi's scent was getting more intense as he neared the lake, away from anything and anyone. He slowed his pace and cleared his mind, inhaling deeply. He sensed Yugi…but there was someone else. Someone familiar. Yami's eyes flashed to red as he moved closer to a tall bush and took in the scene before him.

"I just wanted to come tonight to make it clear for once th-that we can't do this…this…whatever this is." Yugi's small but determined voice said to the much taller Joey as he began to inch closer. "I wanted to tell you at the library, but it just seems like every time I look into your eyes, I—" Yugi stopped, startled purple eyes taking in just how close he and the blonde were. "I…" Joey's hands shot out and gripped Yugi's wrists, bringing them snugly against one another. Alarms rang in Yami's head, ricocheting around his skull, but he was frozen from shock. Yugi was staring wondrously into Joey's eyes as if under a spell. Tears sprung to Yami's eyes without warning. Did Yugi…feel something for this kid?

"You…?"

"I…can't look away." Yugi breathed, Yami's eyes closed sadly. What was happening?

"Can't, or don't want to?" Joey asked with a smirk. Unfortunately, Yami wondered the same thing.

"J-Joey, please," Yugi whimpered as Joey began to lean in closely. Yami looked on in confusion. He could have sworn he saw a flicker of—what, fear?—in Yugi's eyes before they seemed to cloud over again. Didn't Yugi want this? "Joey, stop, p-please! Don't…mmph!" Joey forced his lips onto Yugi's, and Yugi looked as if the wind had been knocked out of him.

The last thing Yami heard before he lost it was an animalistic roar escape his lips.


	6. Chapter 6

Yami could only remember ever being this livid once before, and it was a time that continued to haunt his dreams. He narrowly held onto his fury by a fine thread as his hand tightened around the slender neck of the creature who had dared to defile what was his. It would take nothing more than one good squeeze to completely snap the vertebrae of his prey; he was but a mortal worm, and it would take no more effort to decapitate him than it would for Yami to swat away a fly. _Kill_, his Immortal instincts demanded. _Drain its blood, annihilate the human. _With each pathetic gasp and gulp of air the human attempted to take, Yami's grasp tautened. Its hands instinctively fumbled about, desperately clawing at Yami's firm hold. The sounds escaping its mouth were as delicious to Yami's ears as its blood would be on his tongue. Its warm brown eyes rolled to the back of its head. Yami's teeth grinded together as he prepared to finish it off—

"Yami?" a soft voice sounded from behind them. Yami blinked, the darkness completely draining from his eyes as he immediately dropped the human to the ground. He fell in a crumpled heap as Yami brought his hand to his forehead, breathing heavily. Ra, what was he about to _do_ to that kid? He swallowed thickly, shaking his head as if to rid himself of the dark thoughts that were consuming him. A soft hand touched his cheek, then his forehead. Yami flinched involuntarily. "Yami, are you okay?"

His eyes finally cleared as he looked down into two beautiful amethyst eyes lit with concern. Yugi. He brought his own hand up to cup Yugi's, but stopped halfway, letting it drop. He looked away, hesitantly pulling his face away from the small hand. He didn't have to see the hurt in those eyes to know that it was there.

"Yami, are you—"

"Why did you come here, Yugi?" Yami demanded, sadness and anger lacing his words. "Why did you lie to me? To your grandfather?"

"Yami, you don't understand. I was just trying to—"

"Do you have any idea what that creep could have done to you out here? Where no one would hear you scream?" Yami's eyes snapped closed, his hands balling into fists. "Ra, Yugi, what if I hadn't been here? What if…" He knew he didn't need to finish.

"I thought I could handle it, handle him, I mean."

"I begged you to stay away from him, Yugi."

"Yami, I tried. He just wouldn't listen. Please believe me." Yugi took a step closer, but Yami took two steps backwards. If he looked into those eyes, he would melt, and he needed to keep his grounding. His lip trembled as he asked the question that was eating away at his very soul.

"Do you…do you _care _about him? You risked so much coming out here, Yugi. You felt the need to _lie_ to me. Why, Yugi? I thought…I thought…" Damn, his voice cracked. He mustn't show how miserable he was. He had to be strong.

Yami didn't miss the many emotions that passed Yugi's features. Alarm, confusion, sadness…a touch of anger, and finally regret. So…it was true? Yugi loved Joey? This was too much. He turned away to face the unconscious teen on the ground. Anger burned his insides. Yugi's hand reached for his wrist, turning him around, but before he could react, there were lips on his own. That did it. Yami melted. His arms instinctively curled around Yugi's back urgently, a small whine escaping his lips. How he loved this little human. He couldn't let him go. He wouldn't. Yugi pulled away from the kiss, pressing their foreheads together and breathing roughly.

"I love _you_, Yami. There's only you. Never doubt that." Yugi seemed angered that Yami would even ask him such a thing. "I'm sorry I lied, Yami. I just didn't want you to worry. Joey insisted on meeting me at the library. For some reason, I couldn't say no. So I came to let him down easily, to make him get the hint. I suppose you saw how well that went. Something weird happens to me when I'm around Joey. My mind goes to mush, and I have no control over my body. It's scary, Yami. I thought it was just a coincidence the first time, but this time…when he _kissed_ me, I felt so weak. I was about to pass out. Luckily you showed up. Thank you, Yami. Thank you." Yugi kissed him again, and Yami felt relief flood his senses. He released Yugi, though kept a strong grip on his hand. This news was unsettling, but it was getting late, and Yugi still looked exhausted despite the kiss being cut short.

"Let's go home, little one. We will figure this out after you've had some rest."

"But, what about Joey? We can't just leave him out here, Yami."

Yami sighed. Of course his pure Yugi would still care about what would become of his would-be molester. "_He_ is not my concern," he stated, tugging Yugi away from the lakeside. He felt Yugi's reluctance. "But I will take care of it after I have tended to you, if that is what you wish, little one."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

* * *

"Hello?"

"Mr. Moutou."

"Yami?"

"Yes sir."

"You…you found Yugi?"

"Yes."

"And he's safe? He's not hurt?"

"He's here with me, though he is sleeping."

"But he's alright?"

"Yes sir. I just wanted to call you, so that you would not worry, and could get some sleep tonight."

"…"

"Sir?"

"Yes, thank you, Yami. Thank you so much."

"Of course, Mr. Moutou."

"Yami, can I ask you something?"

"Alright."

"And you'll answer honestly?"

"…I will answer your question to the best of my ability."

"If you believe it to be better that I don't know the answer, you just remain quiet, alright? And I won't judge you either way."

"Yes, okay."

"You love my grandson, don't you?"

"…I do very much, sir."

"And he loves you."

"Indeed he does."

"Yami…you're not from here, are you?"

"I…I am not from Domino."

"You're…not like me and Yugi, are you?"

"…"

"You're a bit older than eighteen, right?"

"…I have been eighteen for a little while, sir."

"…Alright, Yami. You have a good night, alright? Take care of Yugi for me, won't you? You'll keep him safe?"

"I will protect him with my own life, sir."

"Thank you. Oh, and Yami?"

"Mr. Moutou?"

"Your secret is safe with me."


	7. Chapter 7

**Short chapter, but the next one should be longer! Thanks, guys, for continuing to read after that super long hiatus i took. I had hit a road block, but now I'm back! Leave me reviews? **

**-Mystie**

Chapter 7:

It was the second day of school, and Yugi could tell that Yami was on edge. It was with great reluctance that Yami had agreed to allow Yugi to return to school after the previous night's events, and he was not exactly hiding how upset he was. Yugi had insisted that he was fine, and that they couldn't start out the school year with absences. It would raise too many questions that neither of them was ready or willing to answer. It wasn't until Yugi had vowed to stay away from Joey that Yami had relented. When they arrived at the school, Yami looked at Yugi with fearful eyes, knowing this is where they would go their separate ways until lunch time—Yugi to the junior building and Yami across campus to the senior building. Yugi smiled at Yami reassuringly, squeezing his hand.

"Don't worry, Yami. It's just a few hours."

Yami snorted. "Yes, but you have a class with _him_." He shook his head and sighed. "So help me, if he even looks at you—"

"We're in the most public of places, Yami, and I'll avoid him at all costs. Trust me, I don't want to be near him anymore than you do. I'm sure after last night he wouldn't even dare." The warning bell sounded, and Yugi pulled Yami into a quick embrace, feeling Yami release a long shudder. "I'll see you at lunch, okay?" He pulled away with a smile and headed towards his first class of the day.

* * *

Yugi's first three classes zoomed by, each teacher beginning to settle into a routine and giving their students a decent night's amount of homework. He sighed, adjusting his now heavier backpack on his shoulder. Just one more class, and then it was lunchtime, and he would get to see Yami. The dull ache in his chest that he experienced whenever he hadn't seen his other half in quite a while had returned full force, and Yugi was just barely holding it together. That, coupled with the fact that he shared this class with the last person on Earth he wanted to see, left him feeling edgy and tense. He was one of the firsts to arrive to his biology class, surprised to see that the desks that had been present the day prior were now pushed to the back of the room, and chemistry labs were sitting in their place. Each lab could sit two people, and there were various tools and test tubes of different sized splayed about. Yugi inwardly groaned. It was the second day of school, and already his teacher was ready to start experiments and assign lab partners. He plopped down at one of the empty labs as more students began to file in, some with annoyed expressions and others with excitement at seeing the new class layout. Yugi tried unsuccessfully to entice random classmates to sit next to him with small, shy smiles to be his lab partner, though everyone seemed to ignore him as they partnered up with their buddies. Disappointed, he laid his chin on his palm, taking in the only empty seat in the class sat next to him.

The tardy bell rang, and the teacher went to close his door and begin the lesson, but stopped suddenly as a student pushed his way inside hurriedly. Yugi bit his lip anxiously. Joey stood, a proud smirk on his face as he had just barely made it inside on time. The teacher shook his head in disapproval before finally shutting the door. "Late already, I see, Mr. Wheeler," he said flatly, adjusting his glasses on his nose. "Let's not make this a habit for the new school year, alright? Now take a seat there, next to Mr. Moutou."

_Crap_, Yugi thought to himself, berating himself for not trying harder to get a lab partner. Joey's smirk turned into a frown for a second, but then he made his way towards Yugi's lab like a lion approaching a scared, little deer. He sat down, gave him a little wink, and turned back towards the teacher in the front of the class. _Double crap_. The previous night's events seemed to have done little to intimidate Joey. In fact, he was acting so nonchalant about the whole thing that Yugi vaguely wondered if it had all been a dream; yet, as he had that thought, he glanced towards the tall blonde and noticed the skin around his neck peeking from under his uniform jacket was still red and inflamed, from where Yami had held a death grip. Yugi had never seen Yami so angry before. It was scary to look into his love's rose red eyes and find nothing—no compassion, no recognition, just darkness. Joey caught Yugi's stare, the corners of his lips upturning into a tight grin.

"See somethin' ya' like, Yug'?" he whispered as the teacher began explaining the assignment in the background. Yugi's heart somersaulted in his chest, but he forced himself to appear unruffled.

"Nothing at all," he shot back, giving his best attempt at a glare. Joey's sneer widened as he leaned in a bit closer.

"Really? 'Cause it sure looked like you liked it last night." Yugi swallowed, his cheeks reddening from embarrassment and anger. So much for his cool façade.

"You know, you sure have a lot to say for someone who was rendered unconscious less than twenty-four hours ago," Yugi spat, his voice rising from a small whisper to a harsh murmur. "I can see the evidence on your neck, or do you need Yami to remind you?"

"Mr. Wheeler, Mr. Moutou, am I boring you?" the teacher asked abruptly. All heads in the classroom turned towards the pair. Yugi shook his head and muttered an apology, his irritation cooling and humiliation taking its place. Joey only laughed. The teacher rolled his eyes and continued. Yugi bit his lip. Okay, so he had to get through an assignment with Joey as a partner. No big deal. It was just for a class period after all.

"…and so we will begin this three-week experiment, in the hopes that you all will end with an in-depth understanding of the hierarchical organization of interacting systems within multicellular organisms," the teacher continued. "The work will not be limited to the classroom. You will each need to construct a model of your assigned structure, so you may need to meet outside of school to complete your projects. Any questions?"

Yugi sighed. _Triple crap. _


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

"Now, explain to me why you and Mr. Wheeler cannot complete this project as partners, Yugi?"

Yugi sighed in exasperation, running his hand down the length of his face in slight frustration. After a trying fourth period with Joey attempting to get any miniscule amount of their assignment done, Yugi had given in. Joey was making it clear that despite the previous night's events, he still was planning on pursuing Yugi. Poor Yugi tried desperately to even start the project as the other students in his class had, but his _partner_ insisted on hindering any chance of that with flirtatious comments and gestures throughout the entire period. He had no choice but to try to get something done on his own while trying to ignore Joey's playful ways, but this was turning out to truly be a two man assignment. At the rate this was going, Yugi had many long nights of work ahead of him.

Now he was at his wit's end, and when the bell rang to dismiss class and begin lunch, Yugi waited patiently for all the other students to file out of the classroom so that he could convince his teacher to reassign lab partners. HE was hoping since he had known this teacher since his freshman year, that he'd cut him some slack. It was the last resort. Otherwise, he would have to tell Yami that he would be spending the next three weeks with his stalker…and that was not going to go over well. So far, the conversation with Mr. Lee was not going too smoothly.

"_Because_, sir, Joey and I just cannot work together. "

Mr. Lee adjusted his thick glasses on his nose and shook his head. "I'm afraid I don't see why."

"It's complicated," Yugi insisted, not wanting to give too much away. He couldn't come out and tell his teacher that Joey had been harassing him. That would open a can of worms that he could not deal with right now. "Joey and I…we don't have the best history together."

The young teacher leaned back in his chair, tilting his head to the side in confusion. "What do you mean, Yugi?" Dark brown eyes narrowed in concern and he lowered his voice to just above a whisper. "Has Joey been bullying you? Do I need to report him?"

Yugi shook his head furiously. No way was he going down that road. He and Yami—well, mostly Yami—could handle Joey. He didn't need teachers and staff prying, asking questions, or bringing his grandfather into this mess. "It's not like that, Mr. Lee," Yugi assured him quickly, noting how the teacher seemed instantly relieved and appeased. "We just don't have good chemistry."

"Well, it's a good thing this is biology class then."

Yugi inwardly groaned.

"Sir, _please_."

"Yugi, listen," Mr. Lee stood from his seat and rounded his desk so that he could stand next to Yugi, laying a comforting hand on Yugi's shoulder. "I'm sorry if this makes you a bit uncomfortable. I know Mr. Wheeler is…an acquired taste, but if anyone can help whip him into shape, it's you. You're a bright kid. Besides, your class has an even number of students. There's no one else I can partner you with." He offered Yugi a small smile. "Just give it a go. Who knows? By the end of all this you two may even become friends." Yugi shrugged the hand of his shoulder and shook his head.

For some reason he sincerely doubted that.

* * *

This time Yami was waiting outside Yugi's classroom when he walked out. Yugi couldn't help but smile, despite the situation he'd found himself in. Yami truly was a gorgeous man. He was leaning against the wall of lockers opposite Yugi's bio class, arms folded loosely across his chest. Yugi could see the slight concern in his ruby eyes, but they brightened the minute he had seen Yugi. They always did. How had he gotten so lucky? He strode quickly over to the taller teen, burying his face in his chest. Yami immediately engulfed him into a hug, unprepared for the sudden affection and sensing something was wrong.

"Yugi?"

"Hm," Yugi hummed into Yami's chest. "Just a rough period. And I missed you."

Yami's eyes softened and he reluctantly pulled Yugi away from him to get a good look at him. He could see the slight fatigue in his darkened eyes. He brushed a stray band out of his face and tucked it behind his ears. "What happened, Yugi? Is everything alright?"

"Can we talk about it later? I just want to enjoy the rest of lunch with you," Yugi said. He was annoyed and frustrated and tired and just needed some normality in his life. He didn't want to worry about Joey or school or this project or anything right now. He just wanted Yami. Yami hesitantly agreed, Yugi's hand slipping into his as he was half-dragged towards the courtyard. Yami sat down gracefully in the grass as Yugi plopped down and laid his head in his lap, his eyes slipping closed as he released a content sigh. Yami smiled warmly and begin raking his fingers through his little one's soft hair. It was obvious Yugi was quite tense, and Yami couldn't blame him. He had been put through a lot since they had met, and though Marik had finally been disposed of, he couldn't seem to catch a break.

"We were assigned lab partners in biology today." Yugi's voice broke through Yami's musings, and he ceased his calming motions to look down into weary purple eyes. "Guess who I was paired with."

Yami's shoulder drooped as he released an irate growl. There just was no getting away from this kid. He should have just finished him off the night before while he had the chance. "That's not going to happen."

"I tried talking to Mr. Lee, Yami. He won't give me another partner. I'm stuck with him. For _three_ weeks."

Yami swallowed but forced the anger scorching his veins to subside, taking in fully just how upset Yugi was. "You won't be alone with him, Yugi."

Yugi sat up and pulled his knees to his chest. "This project is a two-person job, Yami. If you're hovering around every time we work on it, we'll fail for sure. Joey can't stand you."

"Yeah, well the feeling is mutual," Yami muttered under his breath, earning him an irritated sigh from Yugi. "What do you expect me to do, Yugi? The last time you were alone with him—"

"Don't remind me," Yugi interrupted. "We'll meet at the library. It's public enough, I guess. I just have to get through three weeks of this. The sooner we start, the sooner we're done."

"Yugi, I don't like this. Whenever you're around him…it's weird. Like you're under some spell." Yami didn't want to mention the nagging feeling in the back of his head. He had seen the adoration in Yugi's eyes last night when he stared back at Joey, and though Yugi had assured him otherwise, his own insecurities continued to plague his every thought. Yugi seemed to read his thoughts, and his irritation melted into understanding.

"Yami, you know there's only you. I'm sorry I lied to you last night, really I am," Yugi said quietly, turning towards the older teen to bring a small hand to his cheek to ease Yami's concerns. Yami nuzzled Yugi's hand and then kissed his palm. He delighted in the happiness that lit Yugi's eyes at the small gesture. How he loved this human. He would be damned if someone as irrelevant as Wheeler would take him away from him. Yugi was his.

"I know, I'm sorry."

"Still, you're right. Something happens to me when Joey and I are alone," Yugi consented, his smile being replaced by a deep frown.

"Then I won't let you be alone," Yami said matter-of-factly, using a hand to silence Yugi before he could protest. "I'll watch from a distance, Little One. He won't know I'm there, and you two can finish this meddlesome task."

"How? I mean, won't he see you?"

"Please," Yami snorted with a roll of his eyes, "give me some credit. I'm a centuries-old Immortal. I can easily stay hidden from a _human_." Yugi laughed at the annoyance in Yami's voice despite the situation. His Yami was so competitive. He checked his watch, noting that the lunch period was just about over now and neither of them had even eaten. Oh well. At least he was feeling less tense about the situation.

"You don't have to do that, Yami. I don't want to inconvenience you."

Yami shook his head, pulling Yugi in his lap and setting his chin on his small shoulder in the crook of his neck. "It's no inconvenience. Yugi, you are my life now. I only want to protect you. Besides, I plan to do vigils of the city starting tonight, to search for Tristan's murderer."

Yugi had forgotten all about that, suddenly feeling guilty about complaining about his own trivial problems when there were much bigger issues in Domino at the moment. "Oh, Yami, that's too much. You're overextending yourself. Really, I'm sure I can handle Joey."

"My mind is made up."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

The night was still but cool for a late summer evening, not that the cold ever bothered Yami. No, it was at night when Yami's Immortal senses heightened. During the day he felt more human, as if his heart still beat against his ribcage and warm blood pulsed through his veins. This feeling intensified when he was around Yugi, the younger being offering him a sense of normalcy and humanity that he hadn't felt since his transformation five millennia ago. Oh, but at night, especially when Yugi was fast asleep in his own room, Yami could almost feel the Immortal venom coursing throughout every inch of his body. He felt stronger, faster, less human. More lethal. More Immortal.

He stood agilely on the thick branch of the large tree outside Yugi's bedroom window—the same tree he had once used to watch his Little One the night they met in the pouring rain. Things seemed to have come full circle. It was late, almost ten, and Yugi had long since gone to bed. He truly was exhausted. Yami knew this Joey thing was bothering him more than he cared to let on. Stepping back carefully to give himself a bit of room to build momentum, he jumped smoothly and swiftly to Yugi's window and flipped inside. Yugi always left it open now. He landed with a soft thud, but Yugi didn't stir. Yami glided over to his bed and pulled the covers more securely around him gently, smirking at the small coo that passed through Yugi's lips. His hand lingered briefly on Yugi's cheek before he leaned down to press his lips to his forehead. He sighed a world-weary sigh. Enough of that. He was on a mission. He exited through the way he came in silently, both feet settling on the ground with all the poise of a feline.

There were two issues he needed to tend to. One—he needed to take care of Wheeler. He was causing Yugi much stress and making him uncomfortable to say the least. Yami's eyes flashed briefly to black as he recalled the blonde's lips crushing Yugi's, trying to claim what was his. He forced the image away, knowing that if he didn't he would surely track the kid down and kill him right then and there. There was another pressing matter at the moment, one that could probably be taken care of more easily. Tristan's murderer still roamed the streets of Domino, and it unsettled Yugi greatly. Moreover, if this coward was indeed targeting local youth, that included Yugi, and that was not a risk Yami was willing to take. This pest would need to be dealt with before he caused any more damage. The task itself should be easy enough. If he could take on Immortals with quadruple the amount of strength and speed of a human, this pest should be easy enough to exterminate. Finding him was the key.

He gauged the city in and out throughout the night, beginning with the city's roughest neighborhoods. He scaled buildings, followed anyone who appeared suspicious, but nothing seemed amiss. He was at a dead end, and it was now almost one in the morning. Of course it was always possible that the criminal had fled the city—that would have certainly been smart of him; however, if it was one thing Yami knew about cowards, it's that they usually weren't all that smart. He decided on one last stop before he called it a night. The news and article written on the crime had mentioned that Tristan—rather, what remained of the poor guy—had been found in an alleyway not far from where Yami was. Maybe he'd left some clue behind. Yami wouldn't put it past the incompetent Domino police department to overlook major evidence. He made his way towards that side of town, a bit annoyed that this was taking longer than he thought. He was hoping to take this punk off the streets for his and Yugi's peace of mind.

The alley was empty, remnants of yellow police tape scattered on the ground. It could have been his imagination, but Yami could have sworn he could still smell that unmistakable scent of blood. It triggered his instincts, and he had to clear his throat to try to rid himself of the sensation. There must have been a lot of carnage and blood here to have such a significant effect on Yami even days after the murder. Yami's mouth watered hungrily. He had not tasted the delicious, warm liquid in months, and just the orgasmic smell of it was enough to make his toes curl. He coughed again. He would not give into his impulses. For Ra's sake, he had been an Immortal for over five-thousand years. He had to get a grip.

With a bit more effort than he would care to admit, he finally calmed himself and stood straight. He narrowed his eyes in disgust with himself but nonetheless began examining to crime scene. There was nothing. Yami inhaled deeply, now fully annoyed and ready to head back. He stretched the kinks out of his back and released the breath he was holding.

Suddenly he froze.

There was another scent here. A familiar one.

_Wheeler_? Yami thought. He looked towards the entrance of the alleyway, half-expecting to find the teenager there, but he was indeed alone. He turned back around and sniffed again. There it was again—the unmistakable scent of Joey Wheeler. He had been here. Did…did he live nearby? Possibly. That didn't explain why his scent was so strong here. Puzzle pieces slowly fit together in Yami's mind. Yugi had mentioned that Joey and Tristan had been friends, and Yami knew the two were quite the troublemakers around Domino. Did Joey have anything to do with all of this? No…this murder had been gruesome, the work of a crazy person. Wheeler had proven himself a stalker…but a murderer?

Yami quickly left the alleyway, half-running back to the gameshop. He had planned on sleeping back at his own place, but this revelation gave him the sudden urge to be with Yugi. He wouldn't dispose any of this to Yugi, at least not until he had solid proof. Besides, lazy, arrogant, goofy Joseph Wheeler—a killer? Not likely. But he wouldn't risk Yugi's safety, even if he was getting ahead of himself.

Wheeler just got a lot more dangerous in his eyes.

* * *

_**Short chapter, but a necessary one. **_

_**-Mystie**_


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10:

When Yugi awakened, the first thing he noticed was that he was not alone in his bed.

He jumped clumsily and fell with a hard thud on the ground, alerting his guest who peered down at him from the edge of the bed with concerned red eyes. Almost instantly there was a knock on his door, and Yugi brought a shaking hand to his bare chest to steady his heartbeat.

"Yugi? You alright in there?" Grandpa asked from the hallway. "Yugi?"

Yami pulled him back to his feet quietly. "Y-yeah, I'm okay, Grandpa, sorry!" He waited until he heard his grandfather's footsteps echo down the stairs before turning his attention to his Yami with a questioning glare. "God, Yami, you nearly gave me a heart attack," he whispered, glancing at his alarm clock on the nightstand. "It's barely 6:30. What are you doing here?" He took in Yami's dark clothing and the messy state of his hair. "Have you been here all night?"

Yami rubbed his eyes drowsily as a yawn escaped past his lips. "A good part of it." At that, Yugi sat next to him and intertwined their fingers, wide eyes lit with worry.

"I thought you were sleeping at your place last night after you…you know. Did something happen? Why didn't you wake me up when you got here?"

"No, Little One, everything is alright. I just…missed you, and I didn't want to disturb you. You seemed fatigued." He thumbed Yugi's hand in his own and half-smiled. "You needed rest." Yugi cuddled up to Yami's side, feeling substantially better than he had the day before. It was amazing what a good night's rest could do. He still had a bit of time before he had to start getting dressed for school, and at the moment all he wanted was a bit of affection from his one and only.

"So…any luck last night?" he asked awkwardly, somewhat dreading the answer. He wanted the creep off the streets for sure, but not sure he wanted to know what fate had in store for him when/if Yami got his hands on him.

"No, dead end, but I will," Yami assured him, the slightest bit of some emotion in his voice. Yugi looked up into rose red eyes ablaze with love. He couldn't help but lean upwards to plant the sweetest of kisses on his lips.

Caught off-guard, Yami moaned into the kiss, immediately pulling his little one more comfortably in his arms, now so Yugi was straddling his lap. Red hot desire shot down the length of his body as he fisted Yugi's hair and pushed his tongue into his mouth desperately. This time it was Yugi who mewled, submitting fully and relaxing his body so that Yami could do with him as he wished. Yami's mouth darted from his own to flower soft, agonizingly-slow kisses to his jaw and down his neck. Yugi gripped Yami's shoulder for dear life, feeling slightly faint from the rush of emotions and pleasure shooting down his spine at even the gentlest of affections. Yami smelled of the night air and the slightest bit of morning musk, and it was triggering wave after wave of bliss through his body.

All good things must come to an end unfortunately as Yugi's alarm clock began to buzz and whine, instantly ceasing the pair's movements. Yami growled, resting his forehead against Yugi's as his eyes slipped close. The two were panting heavily, their foreheads slick with sweat. Yugi brought an effective fist down on the clock to silence it.

"School," he breathed out, grateful that he didn't need to explain himself as Yami nodded silently. He let Yugi slide from his lap and stood, regaining his composure slightly.

"I need to head home for my uniform and things. I'll meet you back here to walk with you." He kissed the top of Yugi's head, and, with a quick look around to make sure no one would see him, hopped down gracefully from the window and circled around the shop towards his apartment. As soon as he stepped around the corner, he was met with surprised raisin purple eyes. Yugi's grandfather was sweeping the front of the shop. He looked Yami up and down and back up again, before humming as if the questions he wanted to ask were not worth the headaches they would surely stir. He continued his sweeping as Yami awkwardly shifted from one foot to the other.

"Long night, Yami?"

"Yes, sir."

"Yugi okay?"

"Yes, sir."

The older man laughed at Yami's nervousness. "There's no need for you to walk all the way back to the city, Yami. Go on up and use our shower, and you've probably got as many clothes here as Yugi does. I'm sure I can find one of your school uniforms in the laundry room somewhere or another." He waved Yami away as if he was dismissing an annoying thought. Yami hesitated before nodding uneasily, knowing that if any blood could pump through his veins, his face would be as red as a tomato.

* * *

Yugi checked his watch for the third time. If he and Yami didn't leave within the next ten minutes, they would definitely be late for school. He was quite surprised—albeit mortified—when a red Yami had returned minutes after retreating out his window, mumbling how Yugi's grandfather had caught him and sent him back inside to get ready for school. Yugi was sure a lecture was probably coming his way after he dressed for school and descended to stairs towards the shop portion of their home; however, none came. Grandpa acted as if nothing had happened, as if his boyfriend hadn't just been discovered leaving Yugi's room early in the morning. Yugi wondered vaguely if Grandpa was truly in the dark about all of this or if he just wanted Yugi to think he was. He tucked that thought away for another time. At any rate, he was waiting downstairs for Yami to get out of the shower and change into the clean uniform he had found in the laundry room so that they could leave.

"Yugi!" Grandpa called suddenly from the gameshop. "You have a visitor!"

_A visitor? This early? Weird_, Yugi thought, though he made his way towards the shop anyway. He stopped in his tracks when he saw the last person on Earth he wanted to talk to at the moment. Joey leaned down on the counter casually, a coy smirk on his face as Yugi came into view. Grandpa stood with a hand on his hip as if surveying the situation, looking back and forth between the pair. Yugi didn't blame him for his behavior. It was rare that Yugi ever mentioned any friends at all besides Yami, and if he ever did, it was never a person like the smug, overconfident Joey. Yugi nodded towards the older man—a silent gesture to let him know he was fine. Grandpa nodded back and returned outside to continue his sweeping and tidying before the store opened. Yugi approached the counter carefully.

"What are you doing here, Joey?"

"Just thought I'd come by and walk ya' to school, partner," Joey replied, the smirk widening. He obviously was enjoying getting under Yugi's skin. It was definitely working.

"Don't call me that. As soon as this project is done, we will go our separate ways, Joey."

Joey stood straighter, inching slightly closer. "Don't be like dat, Yug'. I know I'm a—what was it Lee said?—an 'acquired taste.' Yeah, dat's it. You'll get used to me, I'm sure."

Yugi's heart skipped a beat. "How did you know I talked to Mr. Lee? Have…have you been _following_ me?" He took a step backwards. He took the silence for a yes. "Leave, Joey," he demanded, pleased with the command in his own voice. Joey rolled his eyes and scooted even closer and took Yugi's hand in his own.

"Is that what you really want, Yugi?" he asked, now close enough for his breath to tickle Yugi's face. Yugi glared upwards, intending to give him a piece of his mind, but was silenced when he looked into beautiful brown eyes. No, no, no, not this again. Yugi tore his gaze away, but Joey tilted his chin back up forcefully. "Is it?"

"N-no," Yugi whispered, now fully entranced. Joey hummed huskily.

"What _do_ you want, Yug'?"

"You."

Joey sealed the deal with a harsh, bruising kiss on Yugi's lips, and Yugi once again felt the life draining from him. His eyes rolled to the back of his skull as his knees buckled, but Joey caught him effortlessly. He was about to succumb to sweet unconsciousness when he heard Yami's voice call his name angrily from the stairway. The fog lifted ever-so-slightly from his mind, just enough for him to realize the compromising position he had found himself in—being held in Joey's arms like a limp rag doll locked in a heated kiss. Yami looked back and forth between the two of them, his eyes full of a hurt so deep that Yugi would have died a thousand times to never see again. Something between a strangled sob and enraged cry tumbled out of his mouth before he turned and rushed past the two out the door.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Hello all. So glad you guys haven't given up on this story, and even more glad to see more and more of you taking the time to favorite/follow it. I had major writer's block the past few months where I knew what I wanted to write but wasn't sure how to write it. Now I'm back and ready to go. Do me a favor and leave a review? See you at the next chapter. C:**_

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Chapter 11

"Yami, what—?"

Those were the only words Yami heard as he dashed out of the gameshop past Yugi's startled grandfather, heart shattering with each step. People whined and protested as they were roughly pushed and shoved out of the way as Yami tried to weave past them to get away, far away. The wind whipped at his face as he ran, but the chill didn't bother him—not when he already felt so cold down to his very soul. The blaring sounds of the city were the only noises he couldn't block out as he ran blindly, not caring where he was going. Just that he needed to go, needed to get away. He stepped out into the street and heard the squealing of tires from either side of him and horrified shouts from several directions. A sleek blue car screeched to an abrupt stop only a few feet from Yami, who was brought temporarily from his thoughts and took in his surroundings. The driver of the car had jumped out frantically, now shouting obscenities about almost wrecking his vehicle, while random pedestrians had gathered around the scene—some asking Yami if he was alright, others just watching with wide-eyed fascination. Yami brought his hands up to hug himself, eyes clenched tight as he shook his head and kept running away from questioning gazes and angry cries until they faded in the background.

Before he knew it, he was at the entrance of his apartment building; he was unaware of just how he got there, but grateful that his legs had led him there on their own. His shaking hands clumsily fumbled about until his fingers managed to jerk his identification card from his uniform pocket and unsteadily slide it down the card reader. With a beep and click of recognition, the glass door swung open and Yami hurried inside and flew up the fifteen flights of stairs until he reached his studio.

Only when the door shut did Yami sink down to the floor, bringing his knees to his chest with his nails digging into his own arms. Eyes clenched tight, an odd mix between a frustrated growl and a pained cry escaped his lips as his shoulder shook with all the weight of what he had just witnessed. His Yugi and that, that…how _dare_ he? Yami was not sure if he wanted to drown in his own misery or shred Wheeler to pieces. He severely considered the latter. What was worse was the deep, unexpected sense of betrayal he felt down to his core. Seeing Yugi turn his beautiful eyes and gaze lovingly into Joey's in the same way that he always looked at Yami had crushed him, perhaps irreparably. Yugi had promised, he had _sworn_ that he loved Yami and only Yami; yet, he had told Joey that he wanted him. The words ricocheted against Yami's skull with all the force of a boulder until he had a migraine. The scene of the two teens locked in a passionate kiss displayed before his closed eyes again and again like an old movie. Yami rubbed his temples to try to soothe his pounding head to no avail, until he gave in and curled himself into a ball in the middle of the floor. It was a very un-Yami-like position, and quite honestly, a very humiliating position for the king of Immortals.

But Yami didn't care.

* * *

Yugi didn't know what happened.

One minute, he was telling Joey to get out; the next, his Grandpa had rushed in, looked at the two as if he had lost his mind, and shook his head as if he was—what, disappointed?

"Yugi, what are you doing?"

Yugi remembered blinking, once, twice, three times, trying to shake the cobwebs from his mind, trying to lift the fogginess from his memory before realization hit him like a ton of bricks and a horrified expression appeared on his face. He shook himself from Joey's grip, bringing a trembling hand to his lips as if they had been burned. His stomach churned, and he barely kept from vomiting as he dry heaved. Suddenly his grandfather was at his side, his arms keeping him standing. Yugi barely registered that Joey had disappeared.

"Yugi! What is it? What's happening?"

Somehow, Yugi found his voice. "Grandpa, where's Yami? I have to f-find Yami."

Grandpa shook his head. "Gone, not that I blame him," he said, with the slightest bit of contempt in his voice.

"It's not what it looked like, Grandpa. I—he, we…I need to get to Yami. I have to explain."

"He left here pretty fast, my boy," his grandfather explained, the disapproval still evident. "I think you should leave him to himself for a little while."

"B-but, Grandpa—"

"Just give him some time, Yugi."

* * *

It had been three days.

Three. _Days. _

Against his will, Grandpa had insisted that he return to school. Maybe Yami would do the same, he had said. Yugi had thought otherwise, and he had been right. After every class, Yugi would wait at his locker, hoping Yami would show up, kiss him on his forehead, and walk him to chis next class like he always did; however, Yami never showed. He never came to lunch, never walked him home as the last class of the day ended, never snuck into his room to lie beside him as he went to sleep at night. It was as if he had disappeared off the face of the planet and, more dreadfully, out of Yugi's life altogether. Yugi was distraught. He just needed to explain. Why wouldn't Yami let him explain?

He had called Yami numerous times and left countless messages. He begged him to talk to him, to allow him to tell him what had happened. He swore that it had not been what it had looked like, that Yami was the only person in his life. He plead with Yami to hear him out. To…to just come back. Don't leave. Don't leave like everyone else had, like he had promised he would never do.

Now it was Friday afternoon, and school had just let out. Yugi was getting desperate, and because of that, he had decided to head over to the business district of town and confront Yami at his apartment. He was depressed and tired and slightly disappointed that Yami had jumped to such a conclusion despite the rather compromising positon he and Joey had been in. He knew he himself probably would have assumed the worst as well, but still, Yugi only wanted to explain. As for Joey, well, he had gone MIA as well. It was a good thing, too, as Yugi wanted nothing more than to give the blonde a piece of his mind for the damage he had caused. That was something to think about later, though. Right now, all that mattered was Yami.

When he reached the enormous apartment, he sighed, anxious to finally see his lover but nervous as well. He went up to glass doors and groaned inwardly. Dammit, he forgot that the only way to get into this place was with an ID card. A bit deflated, he frowned and leaned up against the door with a frustrated sigh.

"Excuse me, do you need help?" a voice asked from beside him suddenly. Yugi jumped slightly before turning his gaze onto a middle-aged woman with salt-and-pepper hair. She was dressed impeccably in a tight-fitting plum dress covered by a stylish, camel-colored coat. Yugi supposed he should not have been surprised; everyone around this trendy, well-to-do part of town dressed that way. Suddenly self-conscious, his cheeks reddened, knowing how out of place he probably looked in his school uniform and scruffy sneakers. He never felt out of place here before with Yami. Now that he was here alone, he realized just how much he didn't belong here—not in this part of Domino and not in Yami's world. His eyes watered, but he blinked them away. "Young man?"

Yugi sniffled, determination settling in. "I-I seemed to have forgotten my ID," he lied, his voice cracking. He felt bad for lying to this lady, but again, he was desperate. The woman smiled softly, before pulling out her own card and sliding it down the reader. The door clicked open, and Yugi thanked her, his eyes shining appreciatively. They both entered the ornate building and after patting Yugi's back encouragingly, they both headed towards the elevator. Yugi pressed fifteen and she pressed nine.

"Fifteen, huh? That's where the really nice suites begin," the lady commented, visibly looking Yugi up and down. He shifted nervously from one foot to the other.

"I'm visiting a friend," he muttered, knowing no amount of lying could make it seem as if he belonged in such a place. She seemed pacified by his response and did not comment on the his little lie from earlier.

"Well," she began, as the elevator came to a halt on the ninth floor and the doors eased open, "I hope your friend is worth it." With that, she strutted out of the elevator, leaving a stupefied Yugi in his place. He shook his head as the elevator continued upwards.

_He definitely is_.

* * *

_**Remember to review! Have a great Sunday (or Monday, depending on where you are in the world)!**_

_**-Mystie**_


	12. Chapter 12

The recent reviews have inspired me to post the next chapter. Thank you, guys. I will be posting again very soon.

Please Review!

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Chapter 12:

Yugi's knuckles struck the exterior of the sleek, dark wooden door for the fifth time.

"Yami, please, answer the door," Yugi plead, sounding more and more like a broken record. After getting off the elevator, he had scurried to the end of the hall to Yami's studio and knocked warily, but received no answer. After being ignored for a little while, his knocks became harder, louder, and more frantic. He had never considered the fact that Yami wouldn't be here, or worse—if he was here, he was simply ignoring him. Yugi wasn't sure which option worried him more. He needed to see Yami, at the very least to know that he was alright. He had yet to reply to any of his messages, nor had he seen him at school at any part of the day. Now Yugi's motive for talking to Yami became less and less about explaining himself and more about just making sure the older teen was alive. He brought his fist back up to the door but let it slide back down to his side, completely dispirited. What a mess he had found himself in. He leaned his forehead against the door and closed his eyes, finally letting the tears he had held in fall.

"Just talk to me!" he demanded. Before he knew what he was doing he had brought his fisted hand back and punched the door, ignoring the sudden searing pain that shot up his arm as he struck it again and again until his face was inflamed, his voice was hoarse, and his hand was blue and bleeding. He sobbed, bringing his battered hand to tuck under his other arm and turned back towards the elevator. He used his non-throbbing hand to hit the ground floor button, and when the elevator finally came to a stop, he rushed out through the glass doors of the building, still nursing his hand. The cool late-afternoon air greeted him and he inhaled sharply, now only acutely aware of the damage he had done to himself. Great—just how was he supposed to explain this to his grandpa?

There were many more people rushing up and down the sidewalk now as there were before, as people were getting off work and out of school and were now bustling to get home to their own families. Curious and concerned eyes watched Yugi, whose own eyes were red and swollen. He slipped his hand further into the nook between his opposite arm and armpit, not ready to explain. He just needed to get home. Head down, he dashed past people, not caring who he bumped into or who bumped into him.

"Aye!" a thickly-accented voice shouted somewhere from behind him, "Yugi! Slow down, man!"

Yugi came to a halt, knowing that the voice did not belong to the one person he cared about at the moment. He clenched his eyes tight and sighed in exasperation, his once forgotten hand now aching and swelling. Just great. He felt a hand on his shoulder but roughly shrugged it off. He was not in the mood for this. "What do you want now, Joey?" he asked calmly, surprised his voice didn't betray the anger and grief he was feeling. Joey circled around to face him as people continued to dodge around the pair.

"Where are you off—whoa, what's wrong, man?" Joey asked softly, finally taking in the Yugi's state as he turned annoyed reddened eyes on him. "You been cryin'?"

"What's it to you? Are you here to make my life even more miserable?" Yugi challenged, slightly embarrassed at being seen so vulnerable and upset. Joey shook his head.

"Relax, man," Joey countered, the usual smugness absent from his face for once. His gaze flickered down to the battered hand Yugi was desperately trying to conceal and then back into vulnerable violet eyes. "What happened to you?"

Something clicked in Yugi's mind, and before he knew it, the hateful facade dropped, and all that was left was the anguish and worry for his other half. His shoulders drooped as pitiful sobs shook his body and more tears began to materialize. Again, Joey refrained from the pompous and conceited habits and instead, pulled the smaller teen away from the judgmental and prying eyes of the people trying to inconspicuously figure out why the two were standing so awkwardly in the middle of the sidewalk.

"C'mon man, let's get that cleaned up, okay?" Joey suggested, nodding down to Yugi's wound. Yugi hesitated but didn't protest as he was half-dragged to a part of town he didn't quite recognize and into a an apartment that had certainly seen better days. It smelled of stale cigarettes and old paint, and as Yugi stepped into the cluttered living room behind the strangely quiet Joey, he took in the dingy walls and stained carpet. He followed Joey down a narrow hallway to what he assumed was his room and Joey closed and locked the door behind him. Yugi looked around carefully. Joey's room didn't seem to quite fit in with the rest of the apartment, as it was surprisingly clean (or clean enough for a teenager), and didn't smell as musty or old. He watched as Joey walked over to a tall wardrobe in the corner of his room and pulled out a shoe box without a lid.

"Can I see your hand, Yug'?" Yugi slowly untucked his hand and held it shakily out so Joey could examine it. Surprisingly gentle, Joey turned and twisted it to get a better look at it, then clicked his teeth. "Meh, I've seen worse. It probably feels worse than it actually is, huh?"

Unsure at how to respond to his sudden change in character, Yugi didn't respond. Though it seemed Joey expected as much as he sat Yugi down on unmade bed behind him and started to take out the contents of the box. First there was a washcloth that he soaked with the contents of a water bottle. He wrung out the excess water into a bowl and carefully dabbed the blood from Yugi's hand. When the cloth got too dirty, he would again wring it out and pour more water onto it and get back to business. After most of the blood was gone, he then reached for some sort of gauze in a squeeze bottle and slathered it generously onto some of the open cuts and bruises. Finally, he used a roll of bandages to wrap Yugi's hand in order to keep it from being too exposed. Satisfied with his work, he gave a slight nod and reloaded all of the materials into the box and returned it to the nook within his wardrobe.

Yugi looked down at his now wrapped hand in wonder, wiggling his fingers experimentally to see how manageable the pain was. It was nothing more than a sharp throbbing now. Joey had patched him up with all the tenderness that he Yugi had never even associated with the taller teen, but what irked him more was just how it seemed to be second nature for him. He turned his eyes back on Joey in silent question.

"So, whaddya' think? Will the patient live?" Joey joked. Yugi forced a tiny smile.

"Y-yeah, thank you, Joey," he replied, "really."

Joey dismissed the thank-you and winked. "Not a problem, man."

"Joey? Why do you keep that box in your closet?"

The air suddenly seemed to shift as Joey stuffed his hands in his pockets and found the floor much more interesting. "Ahhh, let's just say I've had to do a few of my own patch jobs every once in awhile livin' in this place." Yugi seemed slightly confused, so he added, "With my dad."

"Oh," Yugi swallowed thickly. "I'm s-"

"It's nothin' really." There was a slightly uncomfortable silence as Joey seemed to drift away in thought a bit, creases marring his forehead as he tried to figure something out. Soon enough, the old Joey seemed to return, and he offered another smirk. "Anyway, what were you doin' out there cryin'?"

This time it was Yugi's turn to frown, and he remembered the reason for his griefs was standing right before him. "Well, thanks to you, I haven't heard from Yami in like three days." He tried to keep the anger out of his voice, he really did. It just didn't seem to work. "Why would you do that, Joey?"

Joey sank into the bed beside him and sighed. "Look, I'm sorry about that, and everything else. I haven't been myself lately. I can't exactly explain why...just...well, it's complicated."

"What do you mean? What's complicated?"

Joey opened his mouth to say something but seemed to think better of it because he sighed again, shaking his head. "It's just complicated, Yug'."

There seemed to be such sadness in Joey's voice in that minute that Yugi thought he imagined it. His expression seemed pained and conflicted, but also a little tense, as if he was having a war within himself. Yugi wondered if Joey even remembered that he wasn't alone in his room. On one hand, he had been making his life a living nightmare; yet, on the other hand, Yugi had never been one for anger or hatred. He was the living embodiment of forgiveness and light. And Joey really did seem troubled in that moment. Maybe all of this...was a cry for help?

Yugi tentatively reached over and placed his bandaged hand onto of Joey's balled fist.

It was the first genuine smile from Joey Yugi had ever seen.


	13. Chapter 13

_**I was waiting until I had a certain amount of views before uploading the next chapter. Thanks or not giving up on me, guys. Enjoy.**_

_**-Mystie**_

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Chapter 13:

"Yami, please, answer the door."

Yami forced himself to stay where he was, seated against the locked door Yugi hysterically called from the opposite side. To an outsider, he probably seemed unfeeling and indifferent, his expression the very definition of a poker face; however, on the inside, his dead heart seemed to be doing flips against his ribcage as he desperately fought his body's natural instinct to want to yank the door open and crush his little one in a warm embrace. It had been a few days now since the _incident_, and Yami had so far been successful in keeping away from Yugi despite the suffering that doing so unleashed upon his own mind and sanity. He had severely underestimated just how much he psychologically and emotionally depended on Yugi. To keep him sane and rational and lucid. And...human. Without him, Yami felt unsettled and wrong and more _Immortal_. He didn't care for the feeling. Yugi helped him forget what exactly he was. Now he had nothing but the emptiness in his mind to remind him that he was a monster. Of course Yugi wanted Joey. He could give him normality and routine and a regular relationship.

The knocks on the door became frantic and urgent, slightly shaking Yami's form as he slouched even more against it, his eyes clenched tight. He wondered just how Yugi had gotten in the building to begin with but knew with Yugi's intelligence and craftiness, there really wasn't much the boy couldn't do if he put his mind to it. The question remained, though: if Yugi really did want Joey-and he did, Yami had seen it and heard it with his own eyes and ears-then why was he here? Why did he insist on causing Yami more pain just by hearing his voice? Why did he torture him? Even now, Yami could smell his sweet scent through the thick door. The sorrow in the younger teen's voice almost did it for Yami; he couldn't take hearing such anguish in his voice. But suddenly, the knocks and calls ceased, and Yami thought maybe he had finally given in...

"Just talk to me!"

The fury in Yugi's command startled Yami to the point where he jumped, and Yami would have sworn that it was someone other than Yugi delivering such blows to the surface of that door if he had sensed anyone with him. Yugi struck the door again and again and again with more force and anger than Yami could even imagine coming from such the meek pacifist. If he kept it up much longer, he was sure security would be alerted. Yami just didn't understand the meaning behind it all. Just why did Yugi come?

The knocks ceased, and Yami had had enough. He had to know, had to talk to him. Had to see him. He stood and yanked the door open, his skin feeling like pins and needles. As the door creaked open, his heart suddenly fell. Yugi was already gone, faint traces of his blood on the surface of the door. Yami swallowed, closing the door sadly behind him.

* * *

The presence had been awfully quiet the past few days.

Well, maybe not quiet. Just. Dormant. Yeah, that was a good word for it.

Up until what had happened at the game shop, Joey had been silently questioning its ulterior motive in trying to use his body to-ahem, _seduce_ that Yugi kid. There was some connection he was missing. Now he knew the connection: Yugi's boyfriend, Yami.

"_What in the holy _FUCK _was that, man?!" Joey yelled to, well, himself as he was suddenly thrown back into his body immediately after being forced to basically assault Yugi in his own home. This was the first time the presence had allowed him to "witness" what was going on while he was being possessed. It was like watching yourself in a dream, knowing that you were dreaming but not being able to wake yourself up. Only this was real. Very, _very _real. He half-ran as far away from the game shop as quickly as his legs could carry him while his brain was in overdrive. He just knew that Yami was probably following him, akin on skinning him alive and using his hide as a warm sheet for his bed, but when he stopped to catch his breath in an alley, there was no one but the people rushing off to work and school. He bent down, hands on his knees as breaths came out raggedly, feeling amusement that he knew did not belong to him. _

"_Are you fucking insane?" he asked in a loud whisper, hearing the presence laugh so loudly in his head that he would have sworn that he was right next to him. "No, scratch dat, I _know _you're insane." _

_He half-expected to be slammed into the brick wall for the insult, but it seemed that he was much too entertained with the stunt he had pulled to even care. Besides, it was like a gazelle trying to insult a lion. "Did you see the look on that his ace? How I've waited years to see such an expression, to kick him off his high horse, the weak fool!" Again, his ears were filled with an eerie laughter that Joey knew he would never unhear. _

"_Well how great for you!" he shouted. "But in case you couldn't tell, I'm a straight guy! You know, like chicks? As in not that Yugi kid! Is that why you're here, man? To fulfill some gay fantasy of yours? Because, lemme just say right now, I am _not _guy for da job!"_

_He was suddenly met with silence, and he flinched, wondering if he had gone too far and was going to be punished, but then the unlikely happened. There was something similar to a snap in his mind, as if someone had pulled some sort of plug from a mental outlet, and he suddenly was no longer alone. Before him stood a semi-translucent man with tanned skin and strikingly white-blonde hair. His eyes, Joey immediately decided, were much creepier than Yugi's boyfriend's. Pale plum with a red ring around them, glowing with gratification. His arms were crossed against his rigid chest and he stood with such confidence that Joey wondered just who the spirit was. Joey looked around, curious if anyone had seen this guy basically materialize out of thin air. _

"_No one can see me but you, simpleton." Already with the name-calling. Joey narrowed his eyes in annoyance. _

"_Well ain't dat fabulous. Now people will see me talking to myself, as if I don't look crazy enough already," he huffed. "Why are you gracing me with your ghost presence now? I figured a peasant like me wouldn't be worthy enough to see the real you." He kept up his haughty facade, but inwardly he felt more relief than he ever thought possible. He wasn't crazy. This thing was real. _

"_Oh, you certainly aren't worthy, human," it said, "but I'm in a decent mood."_

"_Again, with the insults, dude."_

"_Marik," it snapped icily, purple eyes flashing briefly to black and back, "you will call me Marik."_

"_F-fine, Marik, then. Why did you do that? That Yami kid is going to use me as target practice whenever he sees me again!"_

"_You needn't worry about my nephew. He is broken." Joey couldn't hide the surprise on his face if he had tried. Nephew, huh? This was all about Yami then. Yugi just seemed to be caught in the , so did that make Yami...not human? Joey was starting to get a headache. _

"_L-look, man, I don't know why you're torturing those two, and I don't wanna know, alright? Can't you just use somebody else's body to do all this?"_

_Marik watched him with a slight smirk on his face silently, assessing him it seemed. Finally he uncrossed his arms and lifted his head as if he was a judge issuing out a sentence. _

"_Let's make a deal, Joseph."_

"_A deal? W-what kind of deal?"_

_Marik's smirk deepened. "I will stop taking over your body and forcing you to sleep while I carry out my 'business' if you agree to help me achieve my ultimate goal."_

"_And what might dat goal be?"_

"_Are you sure you want to know that? Are you really, _really _sure?"_

"_Okay, now I'm not sure," Joey groaned. "Look, I can't get behind this. You messin' with that Yugi kid's head, puttin him in some kind of weird trance. I dunno what Yami did to ya', but Yugi seems innocent in all dis..."_

_Marik frowned slightly. "Hm, well, if you can get close to him for me..."_

"_Ohhhhhh no, no more gay scenes for me, pal."_

"_Within the realm of friendship then. Make him trust you. After that, I will do what I need to do, and you will be rid of me forever. I will be on my way."_

"'_Do what you need to do'? What's dat mean? No more hurting people, Marik. You murdered my best friend, for Christ's sake!" _

"_An honest mistake."_

"_Whatever you have to tell yourself to fall asleep at night."_

_Marik laughed and Joey felt sick. "You have my word. No more death. If, and only if, you take my deal."_

_Joey paced from left to right. "No more hurting people, and after I get you close to Yugi, you'll leave? Just like dat?"_

"_Just like that."_

"_And why should I trust you?"_

_Marik shook his head, closing his eyes and disappearing as suddenly as he appeared. _

"_You haven't much of a choice, now do you?"_

And Joey didn't. It was really his only option at this point.

All the same, he had skipped school the next few days. How strange it was that someone like him was hiding from someone like Yugi. He had agreed to Marik's terms, but he wasn't quite ready to face them yet. Although he had been silent the past few days except for the occasional insult hurled his way here and there, Joey could feel Marik's growing impatience.

Then, as if on cue, he suddenly saw a spray of blonde and black among the crowded sidewalk as he was walking home after grabbing a bite to eat at the pizza place near his place. Marik was instantly on the alert. _Go on! He's moving fast! _Joey hesitated. Was he really gonna take advantage of this kid? _The sooner you do what I ask, the sooner your body belongs to you again_. That did it. He jogged through the crowd and called out to Yugi. He needed his body and mind to be his again.

Whatever he had to do, he would do it.

* * *

_**I can has reviews? **_


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14:

When Yugi had placed his small bandaged hand on top of Joey's, Joey had slightly jumped with a start. He was unused to this…this tactile approach to comfort. Growing up in a split household with an abusive alcoholic for a father had taught him a few things.

Don't be a wuss.

Softness is weakness. Emotions can only lead to pain. No one ever stuck around anyway. They always left. Always. But as he looked down at the large eyes of Yugi, he saw no malice, no signs of likely abandonment—only compassion and kindness. Despite everything Joey had (unwillingly) put the kid through, he still found room in his heart for sympathy towards his tormentor. How was such a thing even possible?

Always put yourself first.

Relying on other people led to nothing but a broken heart. Joey had once trusted in his mother for everything a young boy should in the first woman in his life. He had depended on her for unconditional love and protection from the world. He had received neither. She had left him with a drunk that beat him until he was old enough to fight back, and she had taken his sister with her. Joey couldn't take anymore disappointment. After all, if his own mother couldn't even be there for him, why should he ever think anyone else could do the same? Nonetheless, he could not help the real smile that appeared on his face at Yugi's gesture. He seemed genuine, perhaps more genuine than anyone he had ever met. No wonder Yami was so protective of him…

Joey shook his head, ridding himself of the thought as the smile suddenly disappeared. No, he couldn't think that way. These self-imposed by-laws had kept him from being hurt—mentally _and_ physically—for the past few years, and he would continue to live by them. He was just trying to get his life back from a psychopath, and to hell with whoever suffered in the process. Besides, he wouldn't forget the biggest and most important rule of them all:

No one can be trusted.

_Exactly. Trust no one, Joseph, _Marik hissed like a serpent within Joey's mind.

_Even you? _Joey thought back, starting to get a grip on this whole mind link thing. The trick was trying to control his facial expressions simultaneously. He heard Marik's deep chuckle of amusement.

Especially_, me._

Joey involuntarily shivered at the honesty behind his words.

_If you want me to get Yugi to trust me, then lemme do it my way, Marik. Back off,_ he commanded. He dared to believe Marik wouldn't punish him for his bold tongue in front of Yugi, so he didn't mind being a bit braver. He felt Marik's hesitance as if he wanted to respond, but then he quickly pulled back from his mind and gave Joey full control. With a shaky breath, he only hoped he wouldn't suffer for his big mouth later.

* * *

"Ahem, so how is your hand feelin', Yug'?" Joey asked, his face turning serious once more as he pulled his own hand back to sheepishly scratch the back of his head. Yugi was disappointed to see him almost immediately revert backwards, but he wouldn't forget the small sliver of what he hoped was the real Joey that he had seen in his smile. It was obvious Joey was hiding behind some wall, and even though he had seemed to ruin his life, Yugi wanted to help him. Maybe by helping Joey, he could help himself.

Yugi twisted his battered hand around experimentally, humming a slight approval. The ointment was starting to numb the pain even more, so Yugi knew at this point his biggest concern was going to be trying to hide the wounds from his grandfather. That was a problem for later, he decided.

"Well, since you're here, maybe we could come to some kinda…truce?" Yugi turned his attention immediately back to Joey who was looking down at his lap. That was the last thing Yugi had expected to hear from him. "I mean, we are _partners_."

Yugi blinked. "A truce?"

Joey snorted, his signature smirk appearing once more. "I mean, it ain't no secret that your boyfriend don't like me, but we gotta project to finish."

At the mention of Yami, Yugi felt his heart plummet. Tears sprung to his eyes and he forcefully shut them before they could fall, covering his face with his hands. In all of this chaos, he had forgotten about the biggest problem of them all. How would he ever get his other half to hear him out? Joey seemed to notice the change in Yugi's demeanor instantly.

"I'm sorry, Yug'."

"I don't understand you, Joey," Yugi said, his voice shaky as the tears finally escaped and rolled down his cheeks. "You have no idea what you've really done. How am I supposed to get Yami to talk to me ever again? He thinks I betrayed him, when in reality you…you…I don't know what you do to me. I look at you sometimes, and it's like I fall under this spell." He stood up from the bed, beginning to pace back and forth. "And now, you're so different, like a normal person. You're being nice and caring and I can look at you and see that you need help, Joey, you do." Yugi turned his eyes onto Joey's, and was surprised to see the startled grimace upon his face. "Who are you? Who are you really? Why have you done the things you've done?"

Joey seemed at a loss for words for once. Multiple emotions flashed past those darkened honey eyes—shock, confusion, a touch of anger, then grief, regret, and finally resignation. He crossed his arms and eyed Yugi sadly.

"Like I said earlier, it's complicated. It's just hard…to explain. I literally can't. Believe me, I want to, alright? I don't…I _don't_…"

"You don't what, Joey?"

Joey stood mechanically from the bed, heaving a heavy sigh towards the ceiling. "I don't want to hurt you, okay?" Yugi cocked his head to the side, narrowing his eyes.

"Then don't."

"It's not that easy, Yugi," he replied cooly. "You wouldn't understand." A small hand suddenly found its way to Joey's shoulder.

"Then let me help you."

* * *

Joey felt one of his defenses fall like a wall crumbling to dust. Yugi was offering to help him? He had just admitted that there was something within him that wanted to hurt him, yet here he was trying to comfort _him_? There was literally a demon inside of himself who seemed to want his boyfriend's head on a silver platter and didn't care what Yugi endured to get it. But he was here still trying to give him the benefit of the doubt. Joey brought his own hand to cover Yugi's and squeezed it gently.

"I don't want to hurt you, Yugi. This is a bad idea." He felt Marik return to the forefront of his mind with a vengeance. Obviously this wasn't a part of his plan.

"I can help you, Joey…if you let me."

* * *

The following day was Saturday, and Yugi had agreed to meet with Joey to work on their biology project at the game shop around noon. He had tried to call Yami multiple times the previous night to no avail. The elder continued to avoid him like the plague. Disheartened, Yugi gave up, at least for the time being. He would throw himself into helping Joey until Yami came around—at the very least to distract himself from the heartache and loneliness that Yami's disappearance from his life caused. There was nothing he could do to find an Immortal who didn't want to be found; Yugi lacked the skill and time. He would simply wait for Yami to reach out to him…if he ever did, that is.

Around 11:45, Yugi was surprised to hear a knock on the front door. Joey was early, not that he minded. Joey just didn't seem like the type to be early for, well…anything. Yugi headed downstairs to let him in, but his grandfather beat him to it. Yugi did not have to see the surprise on his face to know it was there when he found Joey standing there. He couldn't blame the old man; the last time he had seen Joey, he and Yugi were caught in a rather compromising predicament. It had taken much effort to explain himself to his grandfather without giving away too much information, but Yugi had to try. Solomon's opinion of Yugi was very important to him. Yugi had seen the disappointment in his tired purple eyes that morning. He was still trying to reverse the damage. His grandfather cared a great deal about Yami, more than even Yugi had previously thought. He didn't want to see him hurt any more than he wanted to see Yugi hurt.

"Ahh, hello, sir, I'm actually here for Yugi—er, well, not _for_ him, just to see him," Joey started timidly. "But not to _see_ him, I mean, just—"

"I know why you're here, young man," the old man replied bluntly as he stepped aside to let Joey in. Joey closed the door behind him as Solomon turned and headed back up towards his bedroom. As he passed Yugi, who was still standing awkwardly at the base of the stairs, he paused and glanced at him carefully. "I'll be in my room reading if you need me." With that, he disappeared from sight. Yugi sighed. Not only was his Yami ignoring him, his grandfather was treating him with suspicion and mistrust. How in the world would he ever fix this mess? After he heard the bedroom door close and lock, Yugi turned his attention back to Joey and offered him an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, Joey. He's not your biggest fan right now…."

"I can see dat," Joey said, straightening his backpack straps. He looked towards the empty game shop. "No business today?"

"Grandpa closes the shop every third Saturday of the month. That's when we get new shipments," Yugi explained. "C'mon, my room's up here." He led Joey to his small bedroom and closed the door behind them. Joey shimmied his backpack off his shoulders and unzipped it, pulling out his textbook and a spiral notebook.

"So I gotta admit, I don't really know where to start, Yug'. Dis is the first time I ever actually considered doin' the work. Usually when I have a partner, they kinda end up doin' it all." Yugi chuckled.

"Well, prepare for a new experience then," he said, sitting down at his desk.

For the next hour, the two worked together and made a decent amount of progress on their assignment. Yugi had to offer more instruction than he would have liked, but he remained patient. Joey was trying—what more could he ask for? He could see that just by being there, the blonde had stepped out of his comfort zone. He was used to bullying his way through school, intimidating his previous partners into doing the work for him or just doing enough work to get by. Now he was acting like a true partner.

Yugi sat as his desk, taking a few important notes from his biology book as Joey did some research of his own behind him on his bed. He was so engrossed in his work, he didn't notice Joey lean over him onto the desk, his hands resting on the either side of him. Yugi jumped, tilting his head upwards straight into maple brown eyes.

"Joey? What's up?"

"We've been at it for hours, Yug'. I think we deserve a break, don'tcha?"

Yugi rolled his eyes, swiveling his desk chair around and stretching the kinks out of his back. "It's barely even _been_ an hour, Joey," he said with a laugh, "but you're right. Let's take a break." He stood and stretched again. "We made some good progress. How bout we grab a snack?" At this, Joey responded with a giant grin.

"Awwww yeah, that's what I'm talking about! What did ya' have in mind?" Yugi smiled again; it seemed the way to Joey's heart was through his stomach. He grabbed his jacket and slipped it on.

"How about we go get some burgers, my treat?" Joey enthusiastically agreed and the two set off downtown.

The burger joint was stuffy and smelled of grease and grilled onions, but neither seemed to mind as they finally were able to snag a table during the crowded lunch rush. A waitress with short, golden hair took their orders and soon after returned with their food. Joey immediately dived in, devouring every inch of his double bacon cheeseburger and chili cheese fries without leaving a scrap or crumb. Yugi watched with a mixed sense of amusement and awe. Joey was like a black hole.

After finishing his own meal, Yugi suppressed a burp and leaned back in the cushioned booth seat, fully satisfied. "Boy, was that good."

"I'll say," Joey agreed. He gazed at Yugi oddly, then picked up a napkin and leaned forward on the table. He reached over carefully and dabbed the corner of Yugi's mouth gently, eyes half-lidden. "Had a little ketchup there, Yug'."

Yugi hesitated at the contact, clearly uncomfortable. It was an innocent enough gesture, but Yugi couldn't help but think that it meant more to Joey than it should have. Yugi looked down at his hands and then back up to Joey and back down again, wringing his hands stiffly. Joey noticed and dropped his own hands.

"Sorry…"

"Look Joey, I want to help you, and I want to be your friend if you'll let me," Yugi began, "but I need you to understand that neither of those things can happen if you keep acting like this. My only interest is in Yami."

Joey leaned back in the booth and sighed. "Yeah, well, Yug', you talk a lot about Yami, but I ain't seen him in days. Why is dat? Before, I never saw you apart from each other."

Yugi frowned, feeling suddenly angry and protective of both Yami and his relationship. "That's because of you, and you know it."

"But I thought he loved you?" Joey prodded, though his eyes seemed sad rather than taunting. "I'm not tryin' to be mean, pal, honest, but I'm here…and he's not."

Yugi's brow furrowed. "What are you saying?"

"I've never met anyone like you, Yugi." Joey leaned back over and took Yugi's bandaged hand in his. Yugi glanced down and back at Joey. "Even after all I put you through, you've been nothin' but nice to me. I know I have been actin' weird, and I would like to explain to you why, but I also want you to gimme a chance."

Yugi couldn't help the scoff that tumbled out of his lips. "There's only, Yami, Joey. I'm sorry."

"Then where is he, huh? Where is Yami?" For once, Yugi had no reply, and he flinched at Joey's accusatory tone. He never doubted Yami, but this was the longest he had ever been without his other, and it was beginning to take a toll on his confidence. He was feeling abandoned and neglected and vulnerable; so, while his heart rejected any of Joey's advances…his mind was thoroughly flustered. Yugi moved to pull his hand out of Joey's grasp, but Joey tightened his grip.

"Give me a chance, Yugi," Joey urged, "and let me show you that I can treat you better than Yami."


	15. Chapter 15

_**Hello all! I have been without a laptop for quite some time, but I'm back, and just want you guys to know I haven't and will not abandon this story. I love it. So you never have to worry about that. Please enjoy the chapter, and leave me yummy reviews!**_

_**-Mystie **_

* * *

Chapter 15:

Yugi twisted his injured hand carefully as he leaned tiredly on his opposite fist. The thick bandages had loosened slightly and were dotted with reddish-brown splotches of old blood. Regardless, the pain had almost completely subsided thanks to Joey's surprisingly tender treatment a few days prior. Yugi smiled briefly at the memory. It was very uncharacteristic of the rough-around-the-edges teen to be so warm, and Yugi knew that it had probably made him quite uncomfortable to reveal that side of him. The smile almost immediately dropped, however, when he remembered Joey's…request the afternoon before at the restaurant. Upset (and quite frankly, a bit confused), he had stormed out of the diner, leaving behind a shocked Joey in his seat. He didn't even know if the meal had been paid for. All he knew was that he was feeling lonely and dejected and just so _pissed_; what was worse was that a small, tiny, miniscule part of him had actually gotten _excited_ at Joey's confession and invitation. Being separated from Yami—who still refused to talk to him—had left Yugi feeling deserted and vulnerable and unlovable, and he couldn't help the instant reaction to the first form of affection he had felt in a long time. He had come to realize how much he emotionally depended on his other half to feel whole himself. So when Joey had showed him even the slightest form of tenderness…well, it felt good. There was no way to spin it. He craved Yami, craved his love. His heart was just trying to repair itself by clinging to any affection that it could.

All night Yugi tried to snap out of it. He tossed in his bed, his guilt plaguing his mind but his heart refusing to budge. Yugi _loved_ Yami, but he didn't want to go back to that dark place again. He didn't want to hurt anymore. Joey would never be Yami, but was it so wrong to like the attention? Again, in his mind, he knew it was. But his heart…

It just wanted to heal. By any means necessary.

Now he sat patiently in his wooden chair in the Domino Public Library waiting for his biology partner. The two-story building was relatively full for an early Sunday afternoon, and Yugi recognized a couple of students from his class also trying to make headway on their assignment. The pair could have met again at the game shop, but, quite honestly, Yugi really did not feel like being alone with Joey again. He knew he would never act on his desperation—Yugi's heart belonged to Yami and Yami alone—but he was not even willing to give Joey the room or opportunity to make any advancements. The only progression they needed to make was on their project.

"Yug'?" Yugi snapped out of his musings and looked up from his seat to see Joey watching him carefully, backpack swung over his shoulder. Yugi gave him a hesitant smile, and Joey took that as an invitation to sit down. "How're you doin'?"

"I'm okay, I guess," he replied cooly, averting his gaze and shuffling around in his own backpack for the books that would help them with their assignment. He noticed Joey's questioning glare, as if he wanted to probe more, but Yugi was quick to cut him off. "Just anxious to get the project going."

_And only the project_, he mentally noted. Joey seemed to get the hint and decisively shut his mouth, clearing his throat.

Again, the two made remarkable progress. Before they knew it, four hours had passed. Yugi checked his watch and his surroundings, finding the library empty save for them and only a few other people. Because it was Sunday, the library closed a bit earlier, so Yugi decided to wrap it up and shut his book with a loud thunk. Joey finished up the sentence he was writing in his notebook and leaned back in his chair, stifling a yawn with his hand. Despite the tension between them, Yugi managed another small smile. He was more than pleased at how much work they had completed. Joey hadn't made much of a peep, only piping up to ask questions here and there and crack a half-hearted biology joke. There had been no mention of the awkwardness of the day before. Joey returned the grin.

"Is master pleased?" Joey joked.

Yugi giggled, stretching his own stiff muscles. "He is very satisfied. If we keep up this progress, we'll be done in no time."

"Well, I'm glad we could work together after you bailed on me yesterday…" Yugi's breath hitched, unprepared for the sudden conversation switch. Well, so much for moving forward. Biting his lip, he began to slowly restuff the heavy books into his backpack, eager to busy his hands.

"W-well, I'm not sure what you expected after what you said."

Joey folded his hands behind his head and studied Yugi's guarded expression. "I'm sorry."

"You're…sorry?" Yugi watched him in surprise. Joey shrugged.

"Not for what I said, just for makin' you uncomfortable." Yugi let his shoulders drop. Typical Joey.

"It's what you said that _made_ me uncomfortable, Joey." Joey shrugged again.

"I stand by what I said, Yug'. I won't apologize for the way I feel."

Suddenly incredibly annoyed and angry, Yugi yanked the zipper closed on his backpack and stood, mustering up the best glare he could. "I'll see you in class tomorrow, Joey. There's nothing more here for us to discuss." He situated his bag on his back and headed towards the exit and out into the warm mid-afternoon sun. Immediately, he heard footsteps rushing up behind him.

"So, you're bailing on me again?" Joey's voice thundered from behind him.

"Joey, go home. I don't have time for this. I don't know how I can be any clearer. I'm _uninterested_."

Joey huffed in frustration, yanking Yugi by the arm and twisting him around so that they could talk face-to-face. Yugi matched his scowl as people tossed them irritated and perplexed looks as they were forced to circle around the pair blocking the sidewalk.

"Why are you so afraid?" Joey practically shouted.

"Why am I afraid of you? Are you seriously asking me this right now?" Yugi said through gritted teeth. He raised his bandaged hand so that it was perfectly level with Joey's face. "Everything that is bad in my life right now is a direct result of your twisted sense of affection. So forgive me if I'm not exactly running into your open arms!"

"That's not what I mean, Yugi, and you know it!" Joey countered. "I've apologized for everything I did, but I wanna know why you're afraid of our own feelings!"

Yugi was barely able to hold back a laugh. "What could you possibly be talking about? You're psychotic!"

"Oh, yeah? I saw the look on your face before you left the diner. You _felt_ something. You…I dunno, I just know you, okay?"

"You _know_ me?" This time Yugi couldn't help the bitter laugh that passed his lips. "You know nothing about me." He turned to leave, but again, Joey stopped him by taking a firm hold of his uninjured hand.

"I know that right now you're feeling alone, and like it or not, you're alone because Yami abandoned you." Yugi wanted to quickly remind Joey that that all because of his antics, but Joey was even quicker. "If he really loved you, he wouldn't be putting you through this, Yugi. He'd listen to you."

For once, Yugi had nothing to say. His mouth fell shut as his eyes suddenly closed. It was another battle with his brain and his heart. If he had seen what Yami had seen—him pressed up against another guy locked in a kiss—he knows he would have jumped to the same conclusions.

But…

He would've listened to him. He would have heard him out, let him explain. He loved Yami so much, God how he loved him. He was trying so hard to stand in Yami's shoes, but it was so hard to do so when his heart was so broken and empty. He just wanted to stop the pain.

Joey paused, then tentatively pulled on Yugi's hand to bring him into an embrace. He heard the smaller teen sniffle as tears finally leaked down his face and soaked Joey's shirt. He wanted to comfort him, but really wasn't sure how to. He hoped that this was enough.

"You're right," Yugi mumbled, pulling out of the hug, though it seemed to pain him to admit such a thing. He wiped his face with the back of his arm and shook his head. "But Joey, I love him. I know he's hurting me right now, but I really can't blame him. A-and I'll wait for him if I have to, as long as it takes. Forever." He took a deep breath. "I just…I admit that I appreciate the attention from you, but that's only because I'm at a really low point right now. It's not because I want to be with you. I'm sorry." He tried to smile, but it ended up looking more like a grimace. "There's only Yami, Joey. There has only ever been and only ever will be, Yami."

Yugi could literally see some of the life drain from Joey's face as he seemed to have a slight war within himself. He didn't want to hurt anyone, but he wanted to be totally honest and open. He felt bad for making Joey think that he had any interest in him or enjoyed his constant flirting, but the truth was, no matter what, he would always wait for Yami. His heart belonged to his beautiful Immortal. Finally, Joey smirked and nodded, his eyes betraying some of the sadness in his heart.

"Alright, Yug', I get it now."

"Really?"

"Really, I'll lay off."

"We can be friends, Joey. As long as you understand that…that's _all_ we can be." Yugi fidgeted with his hands nervously. Joey nodded again, and Yugi smiled a genuine smile. "I'm…sorry for leaving you at the restaurant yesterday after I promised it to be my treat."

Joey laughed and sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "It's cool. Not the first time I walked out without payin'." Yugi's mouth fell open and Joey laughed again. "Kiddin', just kiddin'." At that, Yugi joined in on the joke. The two stared at each other somewhat sadly, before Joey suggested that they head their separate ways. Yugi agreed, and after they shared an awkward hug, he was making his way towards the game shop. He was feeling much better than he had in days, his heart a little lighter and a little pep in his step. He tossed a quick hello to his grandfather who was sweeping the front of the store before heading up to his room. He shut the door and turned around—

—and found a pair of crimson eyes staring right back at him.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16:

Yami couldn't take it anymore.

He thought that he could go on with his life and let Yugi go, but he couldn't. Even the thought of going one more day without even laying eyes on the beautiful teen seemed unbearable. The hold that Yugi had on Yami's heart was much too strong. His every thought was plagued with images of large, amethyst eyes and wild golden hair. When he closed his eyes, Yami imagined holding him, pushing unruly bangs out of his rounded face, rubbing his fingers across stunningly-pale skin. Though his body didn't demand either, he couldn't eat, couldn't sleep, couldn't _think_ about anything or anyone else. He had to see him, to talk to him.

Yami knew what he had seen. In fact, he had done everything in his will power to _unsee_ it; yet, try as he might, the vision of Yugi's lips captured by that…that _dog_ wouldn't leave him be. There was no getting past what he had happened, no twisting or contorting it to where it made sense (Ra knows he had certainly tried), but Yami could not deny himself any longer. So Yugi had made a mistake…that's what it was, right? Yugi still loved him or why else would he have come to Yami's apartment a few days ago? Right?

_Right?_

Yami couldn't imagine a world where he and Yugi were not together. Without him, Yami was just a vessel without a soul. Though his heart had long since stopped beating, it still yearned for Yugi. Without him, Yami felt as if he wasn't really living, just existing day-to-day. There was no joy, no laughter. He was at a point of just _being_. It was time to stop living in denial. He needed his Yugi. They would…work together to get past this. They had to. Yami didn't know what he would do if they couldn't.

So it was for this reason that he was determinedly making his way through downtown towards Kame Game Shop, weaving around the scant crowds of busy people with his hands in his pocket. Yes, he was excited to see Yugi, but he was also incredibly anxious. What would he say? What would he do? How would Yugi react? Did he even want to talk to him, see him? Yami swallowed uneasily, his dead heart a heavy rock in his chest. He shook his head to rid himself of the bad vibes and thoughts. He had to do this. He could not go on like this.

"So you're bailing on me again?" Yami stopped in his tracks, recognizing the thickly-accented voice of the last person on Earth he wanted to hear at that moment. Joey was but two-hundred feet in front of him, backpack hanging from his back. Annoyed people meandered around him and whoever he was yelling at, who stood directly before him, blocked by Joey's lanky form.

But the next voice he heard was enough to almost turn Yami's legs to pudding.

"Joey, go home," Yugi's irritated voice said, and Yami instantly bolted to the alley next to him, leaning against the edge of the brick wall and peeking inconspicuously around it so that he could still get hear the pair argue. "I don't have time for this. I don't know how I can be any clearer. I'm _uninterested_."

Yami's insides twisted painfully, though he was unsure if the feeling was out of confusion or hopefulness. Yugi was thwarting Joey's advances? What had happened in the few short days for this to happen? Joey jerked Yugi's arm roughly—roughly enough for Yami to barely keep himself from reacting—and turned him to face him. A startled gasp tumbled out of Yami's lips as he laid eyes on his beloved for the first time in a long time. Though his lovely face was contorted in anger, to Yami, he looked more beautiful than ever.

"Why are you so afraid?" Joey yelled. Yami watched as Yugi brought a bandaged hand up to Joey's line of vision and blamed him for everything bad in his life. Yami's eyes flashed dangerously to black. Had Joey _hurt_ the love of his life? Had he dared to lay a single paw on what was his? Yami tried to control his breathing as flashes of Yugi banging murderously on his apartment door played before his eyes.

Oh.

Joey continued to probe an unwavering and thoroughly insulted Yugi until he grasped his hand, his eyes softening to a point that Yami wouldn't think possible for the gruff Joey Wheeler. "I know that right now you're feeling, and like it or not, you're alone because Yami abandoned you." Yami felt as if he had suddenly been punched in the gut. "If he really loved you, he wouldn't be puttin' you through this, Yugi. He'd listen to you."

Wait…was Yugi in pain? Was Yami unintentionally hurting Yugi? Did he really feel abandoned? That didn't make sense! Yugi had emotionally abandoned _him_. He knew was he had seen. Could Yami have been wrong? Oh, Gods, if he had somehow been wrong…then he _had_ abandoned Yugi. He hadn't given him a chance to explain. Yami was brought out of his self-loathing as he heard the sound he would've died a thousand times to never hear again. Yugi crying. He watched as Joey carefully pulled the sobbing Yugi to his chest. Jealously and possessiveness burned his throat, but for some reason, he felt that he had no right to feel these things. If he was the cause of both of their grief, what right did he have to be jealous of someone touching Yugi? Before he knew what was happening, Yami felt hot tears rolling down his own cheeks.

What had he done?

He clenched his eyes tight. He didn't deserve Yugi. He continued to hurt him, over and over again. Yami was ready to let him go. It was for the best for them both.

"But Joey, I love him." Yami inhaled sharply. Had he heard correctly? He forced himself to listen more. "I know he's hurting me right now, but I really can't blame him. A-and I'll wait for him if I have to, as long as it takes. Forever." He paused. "I just…I admit that I appreciate the attention from you, but that's only because I'm at a really low point right now. It's not because I want to be with you. I'm sorry." Yami covered his mouth as Yugi attempted a smile and added, "There's only Yami, Joey. There has only ever been and only ever will be, Yami."

Relief washed over Yami like cold water. Hearing those words gave him so much life that the intensity almost brought him to his knees. _There has only ever been and only ever will be, Yami._ He felt a real smile curve its way onto his face as he realized that Yugi had never abandoned him, never left him, never fell in love with another. There was an explanation for this. Yugi loved him. He didn't need to hear anymore. He retreated further into the darkness of the alley and carefully scaled the wall of the building, out of sight from any humans. He began jumping from rooftop to rooftop, his heart feeling light in his chest for the first time in a while. When he reached the game shop, he swooped through Yugi's bedroom window cautiously, landing almost inaudibly. He was going to wait for Yugi, and they were going to fix all of this.

* * *

Joey knew he was in deep shit.

He quickly made his way back home, surprised to find his father there but unsurprised to see him passed out in the worn, green recliner with the television's volume up way too high. With a sigh, he shut and locked the door, tiptoed around the numerous beer cans on the floor and tossed a blanket across his father's body. It really didn't matter how quiet he was; his dad was out like a light, and once he was at that point, there was very little that could awaken him. Joey shook his head and made his way to his room, closing the door behind him, knowing that the rest of his evening would not play out well.

Oh, how right he was.

The minute the door clicked closed, Joey felt Marik's presence slam forcefully in his head. Throughout the day, Marik had been somewhat dormant—there but not there, aware but not interfering. He had been allowing Joey full control to carry out their plan—gaining Yugi's trust so that Marik could pounce. The minute he had felt Joey's defenses fall, he had almost taken control. Knowing better than to cause such a scene in public, he had seethed in his place within Joey's mind. Joey had felt it, felt his control waiver, and he was ready to fight it with all of his might. Luckily, he didn't have to.

_How _dare _you defy me?! _Marik's shouted, using his power to throw Joey's body into the opposite wall. Joey landed with a loud thud, sliding down the wall to the carpet with a slight groan of pain. He leaned on all fours, trying to stand, before he felt a solid weight on his back, slamming him back into the ground. Though invisible, Joey knew that Marik was standing on top of him. _You think you can make a fool out of me?! I will destroy you!_

Joey wheezed as he felt Marik increase the pressure on his back. He gritted his teeth in determination, unwilling to continue to be a victim. "The deal is off, you creep! Get off'a me!" Marik growled and released the weight on his backside. Joey inhaled deeply, but before he could gather his bearings, he was kicked in the side of the head like a soccer ball. He rolled over on his side and gasped for air, his vision suddenly going shaky.

_The deal is off when I say so, you cretin! Just who do you think you are? What power do you think you hold here?!_

Again, Joey held on to what little resolve he had and growled. "I won't let you hurt him, you monster!" He rolled over onto his knees and coughed, feeling blood trickle down the side of his head. For once, the anger completely dissolved from his mind and was instead replaced by deep amusement. Marik laughed deafeningly, the sound reverberating through Joey's skull.

_Oh, this is too hilarious! _he cackled. _You're actually falling in _love_ with little Yugi! After making his life a living hell, you think that midget wants anything to do with you?!_

Joey frowned, finally able to get in a sitting position. "Maybe not," he said quietly, recalling Yugi embracing his love for Yami. "But I won't let you hurt 'em. He's…he's innocent in all 'dis! Whatever you have against his boyfriend has nothing to do with him! So…so just leave 'em be, hear me? You won't hurt him!" Again, Marik chuckled, flinging Joey back into the wall with ease. His head smashed hard against the plaster and put a slight hole in it.

_And you think you can stop me_?

Joey's vision swam. No, no…he was losing consciousness. If he passed out, Marik would have total control over him. He would be free to hurt anyone! He would be free to hurt Yugi. He tried desperately to fight it, but his vision only darkened, the blow to the back of the head too much for his body to bear.

When he awakened, he was in a place unfamiliar to him. It was like his bedroom, but even smaller. He sat up, finding himself in a large bed. He touched the back of his head, but found no pain. As he looked around, he found random bits and oddities from his childhood—a baseball bat and mitt, a stuffed animal missing its eye…a picture of his sister, Serenity. Instantly, he panicked, rushing to the one door in the room. It was locked.

Joey was trapped within his own mind.

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_**Alright, a shorter chapter, but necessary. We are very overdue for some Yugi/Yami moments, so that will be coming next chapter. Leave me reviews, my loves!**_

_**-Mystie**_


	17. Chapter 17

_**Hello, all! Welcome to the next chapter. So happy to see that you all are still along for the ride. Thank you to Heil Dragon Girl for your recent reviews, and to my numerous new followers! Welcome! Please leave reviews if you can! They really help me out. See you at the next installment. ;) **_

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Chapter 17:

"Y-Yami?" Yugi asked, his eyes wide as they took in the stunning form of his estranged lover sitting casually on the bed. He was the picture of poise and grace, leaning elegantly on his knees with his chin resting on his knuckles. Yugi's mouth hung slightly open and he quickly snapped it closed, slightly mortified to be caught staring so openly. He averted his gaze downwards and shimmied his backpack onto the ground. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you."

Yugi's heart skipped a beat. Yami was here to see him. He had come on his own, no prodding from Yugi necessary. Suddenly Yugi frowned again. Maybe Yami was here to officially break off their relationship. Maybe this was just a Yami's polite way of saying goodbye. "D-does Grandpa know you're here?"

Yami shook his head.

Yugi glanced up, only to be absorbed into Yami's loving rose red gaze. It had to be his imagination; surely Yami wasn't really here…on his _bed_…staring at him in such a tender way. Oh, what a cruel joke this hallucination was turning out to be. This wasn't the first time since their separation that Yugi's mind had played these tricks on him, constructing a world where their fight had never occurred and Yami was always here—right here in front of him. Like nothing had ever happened. Yugi's clinched his eyes tight.

"You're not real, this isn't real," he said, his voice breaking. It was something he had learned to repeat to himself after the second illusion he'd had. "Please, please just go away. I can't take this anymore." So occupied was he in trying to dispel the nightmare that he failed to notice Yami's sympathetic gaze as he carefully stood from the bed and made his way to him. He felt soft, calloused hands cup his cheeks and thumb away the few tears that had fallen. He gasped as he opened to eyes to find Yami directly before him, his own eyes shimmering.

"This is real, Yugi. This is me. I'm here."

Yugi's lip quivered before his legs finally gave out on him and he allowed a heart-wrenching sob to escape. However, Yami was there to catch him and easily scooped him to his arms and brought him to the bed. He let Yugi cry into his shirt, hoping to muffle some of the sound so as not to alert his grandfather even though he was still outside of the shop. Eventually, the sobs settled and he stopped shaking enough to form a coherent word. "W-why? I thought…you…?"

"I was already coming to see you. I felt we should talk about what happened," Yami replied gently as he wiped away the rest of Yugi's tears. "And then, I saw you and Joey talking outside the library."

"You did?"

Yami nodded again. "Yes. And as I heard you speak and watched you cry, I realized that I must have been incorrect about what I saw last week." At this, he narrowed his eyes, assessing Yugi's guarded expression. "I never even gave you a chance to explain. I just abandoned you."

"Yami…I understand, really. I would've thought the same thing, but I don't want Joey. I never did," Yugi explained, pure honesty dripping from his words. "It's only ever been you."

Yami smiled warmly, pulling his love to his chest and resting his chin on the top of his head. "I know that now. I am so very sorry for hurting you. It seems I put us both through all of this for nothing. I just hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me?" Yugi returned the embrace.

"You have no idea how much I've missed you, Yami," he whispered. Yami tilted his little one's head upwards to stare adoringly into his eyes.

"I think I might have a clue." With that, he sealed the gap between their lips. Yugi couldn't help the whimper that escaped. This was the first time he and Yami had shared a kiss in what felt like forever, and he hungrily wrapped his arms around Yami's neck and pulled him impossibly closer. He nibbled softly on Yami's lower lip, causing the Immortal to release a groan of his own, and Yugi took full advantage and began to explore his mouth with his tongue. It was incredibly rare for Yugi to take control in such an intimate situation between the two, but he couldn't help it. His body had been craving this for days.

Before he knew it, he was on his back on the bed—Yami was never one to be dominated—and trying desperately to restrain himself from moaning too loudly as Yami pressed agonizingly-slow kisses to his neck and collarbone. His hands found their ways to Yami's broad shoulder, fingers urgently digging into the fabric of his thin shirt. Yami, too, was finding it hard to stay quiet as he was straddling Yugi's waist and the younger teen's hands found their way under the hem of his shirt. The effect of skin-to-skin contact after so much time apart was almost overwhelming. They both needed more. Yami halted his ministrations to reach down to the zipper of Yugi's jeans…

"Mmm, Y-Yami, wait," Yugi managed to whisper, placing his own hand over Yami's to stop him. "We can't do this here. Grandpa…he's just downstairs." It almost pained Yugi to stop his lover, but he knew the two couldn't fully enjoy one another if they had to worry about the older man hearing them or walking in on them. Yami released a shuddering breath but nodded, lowering himself briefly onto Yugi to place a soft kiss on his lips.

"Forgive me, Little One," Yami whispered huskily as he leaned over him. "It has been so long since I even felt your hand in my own. I can't help myself." He smirked and then kissed the corner of Yugi's mouth, eliciting a light hum of pleasure that he felt down the length of his body. He pulled Yugi up with him as he straightened his position on the bed, keeping a tight grip on his hand. The two stared at each other a moment longer with content smiles, before Yugi broke the eye contact.

"Joey's changed, I think," he said, noting how Yami's smile faltered. He made sure to squeeze his hand reassuringly. "He realizes how I feel about you now. He said he would lay off." Yami only blinked in response. "I can tell he's not particularly happy about it, but now hopefully we can just get through the rest of this project without incident…" Yugi's voice trailed off as he waited for what he was sure was a disagreement coming.

"Yes," Yami said carefully, "I'm sure you two will be able to successfully complete your assignment."

"Y-you're serious?"

Yami nodded reluctantly. "Yugi, I trust you, and I think you're right about Joey. Even if my possessive side cannot stand the thought of you two being alone, I want you to know that I have the utmost faith in you and in our relationship. You don't need me hovering over you all the time." He released Yugi's hand to cup his cheek. "I _trust_ you, okay?"

Yugi felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders and he immediately reached out to hug his boyfriend and snuggle into him. He felt strong hands rub circles into his back as Yami sighed. He knew that it probably took a lot for Yami to disregard his instinctive overprotectiveness just to make alleviate the stress Yugi had been carrying around. And he did it all for him.

"But Yugi," he pulled Yugi away from his chest to get a good, stern look at him, so that Yugi knew that he was serious, "if he so much as looks at you in a way that makes you uncomfortable or if he puts you in an unsafe situation, you leave, okay? I trust _you_, but I have a natural suspicion of everyone else, especially when it comes to your well-being." Yugi nodded slowly, and Yami felt the need to explain. "It's not that I don't think you can take care of yourself. You're just…you're just very important to me. I can't lose you. I won't. It's natural for me to want to ensure that you're safe. Do you understand?"

This time, Yugi smiled gratefully. Yami couldn't help but to be protective of him. It was his nature. Yugi was just precious to him. Yugi couldn't fault him for that. "I understand, Yami."

And he kissed him again.

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_**We definitely needed some Yugi/Yami lovin'.**_

_**-Mystie**_


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